A Phoenix Reborn
by LyThi
Summary: Layla is given a chance to return to Kaleido Stage, but It wont be an easy road, so she turns to Sora for help in becoming a Kaleido Star again shoujoai for a LaylaSora pairing
1. Chapter 1

Note: This is my first attempt at writing, and no I don't own the Kaleido Star series or characters, so don't sue, you wont get anything out of it. English is not my first language so don't have me shot if it's not perfect and I hope you enjoy.

Thoughts are in Italic

A Phoenix Reborn

"Sora… SORA!" yelled a petite redhead chasing after another red haired oriental woman.

"What is it Rosetta?" replied the Japanese girl with a warm but puzzled expression.

"Kalos just called from his office and he's looking for you." answered Rosetta.

"hmm I wonder what he wants… Ill go check it out, thanks Rosetta." Said Sora as she took off in a hurried pace. Rosetta waved her off with a slight blush on her face.

Sora ran around the corner waving at the men and woman that made up Kaleido Stage's crew who where as usual hard at work. "Hello Sora," "Good work on last nights show Sora." yelled the crew at the running Kaleido star.

"Arigato" replied Sora as she somersaulted over a tray of paint cans that were laid out in the hall way. Soon Sora entered the owner's office with the ever stoic Kalos behind his desk.

"Is there something you needed from me boss." said Sora as she took a seat at Kalos's desk. _I wonder what he wants, my two week long vacation is going to start soon. I hope he's not trying to jip me out of it again_.

"I just received a call this morning from Layla and she…"

"WHAT, you got a call from Layla?" interrupted a now very excited Sora "Its been nearly a month since we last talked, I wonder how she's doing."

"If you let me continue talking I'll tell you Sora." retorted Kalos with a slightly amused expression on his face.

"Oh sorry." replied a now blushing Sora. _It's been so long since I last saw Layla. I know it's only been a month but it seems like forever. The last time we were together was when I realized that I… that I.. _

"If there are no more interruption, she wanted to know if you would be willing to come to Boston this weekend, she figured with the your break you would be free."

"Of course I'll always be free for Layla-san." replied Sora as she turned to the window and stared at the sun that was now dipping into the ocean's horizon.

Kalos broke Sora gaze with a slight clearing of the throat "well then if it's agreed, there is nothing more to discuss"

" Of course I'll leave you be boss," Sora got up and headed to the door.

"Oh and Sora."

"Yes?"

"Have fun." Sora was somewhat stunned by her bosses uncharacteristic show of consideration.

" I will." Sora sprung from the chair and left the room with an extra bounce in her step.

Boston one week ago

A lady in her mid thirties sat at a desk writing on a piece a of legal paper when there was a knock at the door. "Yes, please come in."

"Hello Dr. Everett I believe we had an appointment." said a beautiful blonde woman in her early twenties. She then proceeded to stand in front of the desk where Dr. Everett sat. She had on a nicely tailored white suit top with a matching business skirt, and she also wore a pair of sunglasses with a serious expression on her face.

"Yes of course, Ms. Hamilton please take a seat and lets get to business."

"Thank you." said the blonde as she sat down and took off her sunglasses revealing a bright shade of blue. The doctor was somewhat surprised at how attractive this woman was. Before the meeting the only thing she really knew about the woman was listed in the medical records that accompanied a series of X-rays. Sure she saw plenty of X-rays but she couldn't even begin to guess how this woman, who should have been a model, would receive such extreme injuries.

"So you are Ms. Layla Hamilton. My office was faxed your medic profile but before we discuss that my I asked how you got your injury in the first place."

Layla simply gave a sad smile. "Yes I used to be a star of the Kaleido stage, it's a form of circus where we perform acrobatic stunts in performances."

Layla's name finally dawned on Dr. Everett, "Wait your part of the team that did that, oh what was it called…. the legendary maneuver, Yes that's it, and from what I remember it was really something."

"Yes, me and another performer named Sora did that act, my injury was caused during our strength training, it was only damaged severely during the maneuver itself." responded Layla with a sad expression

"I could tell, I received one set of x-rays that showed some ligament tearing but the ladder section of x-ray's show a crushed shoulder, it's a wonder you can still use the arm, and what may I ask where you thinking, why did you continue to destroy your shoulder, your doctor must have warned you that if it got worse it would be permanent."

After hearing this Layla produced an even more serious expression, " It was something I had to do doctor. I can't really put into words just how Important it was for me to do it. It wasn't just something I could have stopped, I had to perform the legendary maneuver at all cost."

"well then it seems the cost was ruining your shoulder." responded Dr. Everett evenly.

Layla dropped her serious expression. For months she had been trying to find the new her. From working on Broadway to doing movies and other activities in the hopes of finding something that would fill her with the same completeness she received when she was on the stage. Even being on the stage in Broadway didn't compare. The applause and cheers were the same, but she would always feel empty like something was missing, something very important. Layla suspected what that something or rather someone was, but she was terrified to admit it. Layla was never very good at relying on people, especially since the death of her mother. Only recently, due in large part to that someone, was Layla able to start relying on others. It was because of that someone, Layla was sitting in front of Dr. Everett. In the last two months since she performed the "Phoenix" on Broadway, Layla had been in a slump. She went through her day to day routines without any feeling, and her thoughts constantly turned to the Kaleido Stage. It was always at the root of her thoughts, and she couldn't help but feel like it was calling out to her. Layla knew something had to change in her life or she would fall back in the same depression that afflicted her before The Phoenix play. As if by fate, Layla read an article in the New York times about a young doctor who was experimenting with radical ligament and bone grafting surgery. Something akin to hope started burning in Layla, what if the surgery could be applied to her shoulder? After a year away from the true stage that made Layla's body come to life, there was a small chance she could use her shoulder again to perform the necessary routines required for playing at the Kaleido stage. It didn't take her long to send her medical data to Dr. Eva Everett with the hope that something could be done. She waited patiently for a reply and two days ago she received a call from the doctor's office asking for a personal meeting. After arriving in town she went to Boston regional medicine where she was now facing Dr. Everett's questioning.

"Maybe the cost isn't something I have to bear much longer doctor. I was told to come here for a personal consultation. Does that mean you can do something for me?" said Layla as she snapped out of her revelry.

Dr Everett understood the desperate look in Ms. Hamilton's eyes and decided to cut out the small talk. "You must understand Ms. Hamilton that your case is quite severe, the ligaments connecting your shoulder have been severed and even under that is a shattered bone structure that is just now starting to heal properly."

"Does that mean you can't do anything for me?"

"Under normal procedures, no, but this isn't a normal procedure." answered Dr. Everett as she cleared her throat, " What I'm getting at Ms. Hamilton, is that I think it might be possible to repair the damage to your shoulder, but even if, and I do mean IF the operation is a success you'll need weeks of physical therapy before you can get full strength back into the shoulder."

_Did she just say what I thought she said! _"Wait, are you saying that you could heal my injury Dr. Everett." now Layla appeared animated, and Dr. Everett couldn't help but smile

"That's exactly what I'm saying but it's a dangerous surgery. Since your shoulder has already repaired itself as best as it could, we have to tear down the muscles in order to perform the operation. Then we have to use electrolyte stimulation on the muscle fibers to get them to grow back to normal lengths, and the same applies to the bone. It's never been done before, but the research is sound and I think I can make it work." Dr. Everett stood up and approached Layla. "I'm asking you are you willing to take the risk?"

"You didn't even need to ask that doctor, because there isn't really a choice in this matter. If I can return to Kaleido stage I'll gladly take that risk even if it is dangerous with a small margin of success."

"Well then, I applaud your bravery Ms. Hamilton. Ill schedule your operation ten days from now so I need you to get all your affairs in order. Oh and in case I forget, Is there anyone that can be here for you during your recovery time, I'm asking because it may take up to a week post operation, and with the medication you'll have a hard time by your self." with that said Dr. Everett put Layla's file in her desk draw and turned back to her awaiting her answer.

_Someone who can be here for me? My father is out of the question, and I wouldn't impose on my maids outside of their normal duties which only leaves one person. I guess helping me recover after surgery is a good enough excuse to see her again, but since when am I looking for excuses to see her again? And what is this feeling I get when I think about seeing her again. I guess it's best not to think about_.

"Yes I have someone in mind doctor"

Present day Cape Mary, Sora's Apartment in the evening

"Sora are you ok?" said an orange-blonde with pigtails.

"Huh….What?" Sora finally looked up from a mountain of clothes that was scattered haphazardly around her bed. She finally noticed the source of the voice standing next to a tall short haired girl wearing a T-shirt and cargo pants. "Oh hi Mia, what are you and Anna doing here?"

"Lets see, for the last ten minutes we watched you tear through your closet like Jonathan with a bucket of fish."

"hmm that was pretty funny, why didn't I think of that." mumbled the short haired brunette.

Mia turned to Anna just in time to see one of her patented introspective posses. "Oh Anna it wasn't that funny, I'm sure you could have thought of one funnier." said Mia as her face turned the color of an apple.

Sora was amused at the display, but she decided to answer Mia's question. "Didn't you hear, I'm heading to Boston to help Layla."

"So what are you going to be helping her with?" questioned Mia.

"hmm, I don't know." Sora started putting her clothes in the open suitcase by the dresser.

It was Anna's turn to question Sora. "wait your giving up your break and going all the way to Boston and you don't even know what kind of help Layla needs?"

"I don't know exactly what I'll be doing, but I know Layla wouldn't have asked unless she really needed me."

Mia turned to Anna "She has a point."

"Ok but explain that." said Anna as she points to the mount Everest of clothes. " If your just going to Boston for two weeks what's with all that attire."

"Well I didn't exactly know what I was going to be doing either so I decided to pack my everyday clothes, but what if we go some place formal, I don't want to embarrass Layla wearing my overalls so packed an evening dress. But then I said to my self what if I'm going to help her with a new play and I need my workout clothes." said Sora finally taking a breath. "In the end I kind of panicked and started packing everything."

Both Anna and Mia started laughing at this point. Sora just stood there with her arms on her hips wondering what was so funny. Mia finally gave up her giggle fit. "It funny Sora because we have never seen you so nervous, which is strange considering you did a routine no one said could be done without so much as breaking a sweat."

"I have you know that I sweated just fine for that, and as for now I assure you I'm not nervous." Sora pointed to her face as she attempted to look serious. "Does this look like the face of a nervous person… hmmm does it…does it….does it?"

At this point Anna and Mia couldn't take it anymore and broke out in a new fit of giggles. Sora joined in as she turned around and attempted to bring some semblance of order to her clothes explosion.

_I think Mia and Anna have a point, just why am I so nervous about seeing Layla-san again. I know something changed inside of me last time we were together. I finally realized that the feeling that was burning up inside me was a longing to be with Layla. But what does that mean? Am I just longing to be with my true partner or is it something else, perhaps something that has nothing to do with the Kaleido stage? Just what are these feelings that I've never felt before? These things should have been clear since performing the golden phoenix, but I have been more confused than I ever was. Just what is Layla to me? Just what is it that I want her to be… a friend…a partner…or…a_

"Sora…SORA." called out Mia for the tenth time.

Sora turned to Mia and blushed. "Sorry kind of spaced out there huh."

"I'll say." said Anna "we could have set Mount Clothesmore on fire and you wouldn't have noticed." Anna then paused and waited for a laugh, when none came she put her head in her palm and began to pout. "Jeeez that wasn't funny at all."

Mia took this as an opportunity and out of nowhere she had her camera in hand and began taking pictures of the sulking Anna while Sora finished up her packing.

Sora's apartment the next day around noon

Sora awoke groggy but rested. Today was the day she would head off to see Layla again, and Sora couldn't help but feel a tingle run down her spine. She got out of bed and went about her daily routine in relative silence. It was the silence that made her reminisce her days warding off Fool's attempts to see her in the shower. Which reminded her to take one before she headed out.

"I can't believe I'm going to say this but I actually miss Fool." whispered Sora as she began to unbutton her night shirt.

"You know Sora that really touched me." came a voice behind Sora in the bathroom. The sound of the voice made her freeze. With her hand still on her top button her right eye began to twitch.

25 minutes later

"Come on Sora, is this any way to treat the spirit of the stage." yelled a blindfolded and tied up foot long fairy laying at the edge of the bed.

Coming out of the bathroom drying her hair, Sora couldn't help but smirk at Fool, after all the little pervert always tried his best. "What exactly are you doing here Fool." said Sora as she began to untie him. "aren't you looking after Rosetta now."

"As much as I enjoy my new respectful charge, I'd rather not be around her when she's practicing with those accursed diablo's." said the now untied spirit of the stage. "Besides, when do I need a reason to visit my good friend Sora, after all are we not good friends Sora?"

"Of course we are friends Fool, but that doesn't explain why you were waiting in the bathroom."

"Hmmm.. well I so rarely get to see the inside of the bathroom because of your insistent need to tie me up, so I was merely sight seeing." retorted the now fidgeting spirit.

"Sure you were foolish perv, but even your antics couldn't ruin my mood right now." after that Sora grabbed a brush off her nightstand and started straitening out her hair, and she did all this while whistling a silly tune.

Seeing Sora's cheerful mood despite her scolding words got Fool intrigued, and if there was anything more enjoyable to Fool than watching women shower, it would have to be intrigue. " I most certainly wonder what has my dear Sora so excited."

"It's nothing Fool." responded Sora as she set down her brush, consequently knocking her keys into a crack behind the night stand. " pooh… Fool could you get those for me?"

"Do I look like a golden retriever? I am the SPIRIT OF THE STAGE."

"If you get them for me there's a bacon flavored biscuit in it for you." responded the now laughing Sora.

"Funny, real funny." said an unamused Fool.

"Fine I'll tell you where the men on the stage crew hide their porn in the snack room."

"Be right back, this should only take me five seconds."

Five minutes later

A very dusty Fool appeared on top of the nightstand with Sora's keys and a disgusted look plastered on his face. "Would it kill you to dust this place every now and then." Fool then dropped the keys and cleared his throat expectantly.

"Thank you Fool, but I was kidding about the porn." said Sora as she scooped up her keys and headed for the door toting her suitcase.

"Humph… like I would care, I just did that out of the kindness of my heart, and by the way where are you going?" called out Fool remembering his earlier intrigue.

"None of you business." remarked Sora as she locked the door and headed out. Fool flew up and found a perch on top of her luggage causing Sora to give him a irritated look. "Feel free to make your self comfortable at my expense."

"Why thank you." jested Fool as he found a perfect spot on Sora's heavy burden. He noted with approval of how Sora's strength training came in handy. "So where are we going."

"There is no we and I'm going to Boston."

"oooh, and what's in Boston? Wait I know, your friend from Japan goes to school there right?

"That's Minami, and that's not why I'm going." said Sora. "But your right, I should look her up while I'm there."

Fool put his hands together in a thinking man pose. " I wonder what could make Sora give up her only break for months….oh well, Sora you left me with no choice." A glowing field began to surround Fool and out of nowhere he produced a crystal ball. "Ah yes I see now. The light of Leo is flickering in the time of transition, and only the bright glow of Sagittarius can sustain its brilliance." The ball and the light faded leaving a smirking Fool. "Yes, I finally see now. You must be seeing Layla in Boston, and it seems she desperately needs your light Sora."

"What is that supposed to mean Fool?" said a now blushing Sora.

_Well now Rosetta, I'm going to put my mentoring on hold, because it seems the events destined to unfold are just too good to miss._

"So what is your usually vague fortune telling trying to tell me?" said a now curious Sora as she tugged her suitcase out of the elevator. When Sora received no answer she looked down and noticed that Fool was no where to be seen.

"Your up early today Ken." said Mia as she spotted Ken walking near the aquatic center.

"Oh hi Mia, I'm just exited about showing Sora the new trapeze with the gyro cylinder. It will allow performers to release at varied angles depending on their movements, and I just know she'll be excited."

Mia couldn't help but feel sorry for Ken. Since she first arrived at Kaleido stage, Mia and pretty much everyone except for Sora, knew he had it bad for her. Even though Ken lacked enough confidence to actually ask Sora out, the way he conducted himself made it clear that he liked her. The real reason Mia felt sorry for Ken was because it wasn't that Sora was blind to Ken's infatuation, it just wasn't even an option to Sora. She probably didn't even put Ken in the same category as possible boyfriend, but rather thought of him as a brother. Of course in the end that didn't stop him from trying, and even though Mia was always routing for Ken, recently she began having doubts whether it was ever going to happen. She couldn't even picture Sora with Ken, but the strange thing was she had a hard time picturing Sora with any of the available men she knew.

_It's final then. When Sora comes back from Boston I wont rest until she has a boyfriend. I Mia Guillem will be the Kaleido match maker. Hmmm.. I wonder if I should put that on my website. _

"Oh Ken, didn't anyone tell you, Sora's leaving this afternoon for Boston."

That wiped the smile off of Ken's face. "B.B..Bo..Boston? Why is she going to Boston and today of all times." This was the day Ken was finally going to tell Sora how he felt. He had it all worked out from showing her the new trapeze to asking her out while on the high rise.

"I believe she going there to help out Layla with something, I don't really know what she doing either." said Mia sympathizing with Ken, she already figured out why he was so exited to show Sora the new trapeze setup.

_I bet you finally worked up enough courage to ask her out huh._

"Mia did you say she was going to Boston to see Layla?" asked Ken after he snapped out of his self-loathing.

"Yes why?" responded Mia but she didn't receive an answer, Ken walked off mumbling to himself.

_That was weird._

Cape Mary airport one hour later

"Thank you for taking me to the airport Mr. Policeman." said a grateful Sora she approached the terminal.

"Really Sora It was my pleasure, because after all I'm your number one fan." responded a rather large African American man with a kind face.

A professional looking strawberry blonde woman standing next to Jerry cleared her throat at this. "Wait, I thought you were my number one fan."

"Well for Sora I'll be a fan, but for you Kate I'll be a groupie." retorted a laughing Jerry but from Jerry it sounded like a bear growling.

Sora really appreciated the ride the two newly weds gave her. "I can't thank you two enough for your help and I'm glad you could make it on such a short notice."

"Nah it wasn't a problem at all, me and Kate were looking for a new place for the two of us so we were already up pretty early." said Jerry wrapping one of his huge arms around his smiling wife.

Kate rolled her eyes. " Normally it wouldn't have been a problem but since moving in together we need a bigger space, you wouldn't believe the amount of Kaleido stage memorabilia he has."

It was Jerry turn to roll his eyes. "If you organized your big pile of junk you call an apartment maybe we could find room for my stuff."

"I am not that messy, and besides you married me so what does that say about your taste in woman." said Kate as she poked Jerry in the ribs.

Sora watched their antics with amusement. Jerry and Kate were the only couple Sora knew and it was entertaining to see two people so comfortable with each other, but she figured that also had something to do with both of them being childhood friends.

Jerry stared to laugh. "Woman.. don't you know that's assaulting a police officer."

"oooooh, scary police man." jested Kate as she pretended to be scared.

"Ha, I'll have you know I'm all about the law and order." said Jerry as he puffed up his chest.

"Well in this marriage I'm the law and I order you to take me out to lunch." responded Kate leaving no doubt who wore the pants in the relationship.

"Ha… Yes mam." said Jerry as he grabbed Kate and slung her over his shoulder in spite of all the stares they were receiving in the terminal. "The boss wants some chow so we got to go Sora. Good luck in Boston and say hi to Layla for me."

"Thank you." responded Sora to the retreating couple. Kate was still slung over his shoulder and she acted like it was an everyday normal thing. "Bye Jerry. Bye Kate."

"_I envy them, I hope I find that kind of happiness someday."_

**Now boarding flight 101 bound for Boston's Logan International **

"_well that's my cue, I hope this vocation I'll have more fun than my previous ones, but Layla will be there so I'm sure I'll enjoy it."_

In the air above Cape Mary in flight 101. Twenty minutes later

Sora gazed out of the window at the city that became her home.

" _It's amazing how much I've come to love Cape Mary and Kaleido stage, and I guess this is truly where I belong. But even then something is still missing before I can truly call it home and that something has been missing for sometime."_

Boston same time at the Hilton.

"Mistress Layla, I hate to disturb you but Lady Sora's flight will be here soon. If you'd like, I'll go pick her up my self." said a distraught maid outside of Layla's bedroom in the hotel.

"No that wont be necessary Macquarie I'll go meet Sora personally." said Layla through the door.

Macquarie was less than enthusiastic about this whole thing. She accompanied Layla from Broadway and she new first hand what Layla was volunteering for, and it upset her that the mistress couldn't count on her to be there for her. Macquarie was always jealous of Sora, even when she first heard or her it was usually complaints that her Mistress would spout out, but even then Macquarie knew there was something going on between them. Macquarie had been serving Layla since she was a little girl and she was never animated about anyone since her mother died. No one could bring Layla out of the shell she had built around her self, no matter how much Macquarie tried, Layla wouldn't open up to her let alone anyone else. The only time she would see Lalya truly passionate about something was when it involved the stage. That was until a year and a half ago.

One year and half ago at the Cape Mary Hamilton mansion

"Is there anything you would like to drink mistress." said Macquarie as she stood by her mistress who was staring out the window. It was an impressive view that showed the horizon but most notably it showed glowing star of lights that made up the Kaleido stage. "Mistress… Mistress is there anything you would like to drink" Macquarie tried again after seeing no response from Layla.

Layla finally snapped out of her revelry. "Oh Macquarie, I'm sorry I didn't see you come in." finally Layla turned to look at Macquarie. "If it's not to much trouble I would like some coffee please."

Macquarie left and came back with a coffee just the way Layla liked it. After handing her mistress the coffee, Layla turned around and resumed the same position she found her in. Curiosity got the better of her and she had to find out what made Layla so troubled. "Layla, I mean mistress, what seems to be troubling you."

"Its really nothing to worry yourself about Macquarie."

Normally Macquarie wouldn't be so persistent but she had to find out. "Please Mistress, I'm sure it would make you feel better to get whatever it is off you chest."

Layla took a second to think about it and finally decided to vent her frustration. "Earlier this week Kalos hired some annoying Japanese girl name Sora to Kaleido stage. It's infuriating because not only did she show up late for auditions but she was put into a performances on her first day. She made a mockery of the whole play, she couldn't synchronize with the other performers and she nearly killed herself on the final routine, and after that Kalos had the audacity to tell me that this amateur would replace me someday. If that wasn't the worst, three days ago I overheard her bragging about doing the golden phoenix, my golden phoenix, and when I called her on it she said you would prove it to me today." finally Layla took a breath and had a sip of her coffee.

For a woman who knew Layla since she was a kid was truly shocked to see how animated Layla had become, she had never seen her so mad at someone before. "So what happened mistress?"

At the question Layla got very quiet again and took several seconds before she answered. "She did it."

Macquarie wasn't sure she heard her mistress correctly. The golden phoenix was one of the hardest acrobatic stunts to pull off and she couldn't believe someone other than Layla could pull it off. "Excuse me mistress but what did you say?"

"I said she did it, not perfectly because she couldn't catch the bar in the end, but it was the golden phoenix, that much I could see." said Layla quietly. "It just really surprised me and I had to recognize her efforts, she nearly killed her self getting as much as she did."

Macquarie didn't know how to respond to this, because this news also shocked Macquarie, but before she could respond Layla beat her to it. "Thank you for listening to me, your right it did feel better to get it off my chest. I was surprised today by Sora and caught me off guard, but I wont let it happen again." with that said Layla walked towards the gym to get normal workout before sleep.

As Macquarie stood there she couldn't help but feel a tingle run down her spine. Mistress Layla wasn't never that passionate since her mother died and she couldn't help but feel a little jealous. This Sora brought out a part of Layla that Macquarie thought was dead, and it pained her to know It wasn't her that brought that out. Macquarie had enough, she was sure it was just a one time thing, Layla would be back to normal in the morning and she wouldn't ever hear about this Sora ever again.

Present day

"_Oh how wrong I was. That feeling I had back then wasn't just me overacting, it was a prelude to Sora becoming an important part of my mistress's life. Whether Layla realizes it or not, Sora has become vital part of her life, and it scares me that someday mistress Layla, MY mistress Layla wont need me to support her anymore." _

"Are you sure you don't need me to pick her up for you?" Macquarie asked one last time.

"Yes I'm sure, why don't you take the rest of the day off." came Layla's detached voice on the other side of the door.

Understanding she was not needed Macquarie walked off to return to her room.

Inside Layla's room

Layla was sitting at the vanity desk with a towel wrapped around her naked form putting the last touches of her makeup on. After finishing her lipstick she got up and stared at several outfits sitting on the bed.

"This is ridiculous, why can't I decide on one? I'm just picking up Sora so why does it even matter?"

"Because you want to look your best when meeting the one that sets your body aflame." came a feminine voice behind Layla.

Hearing another voice in the room caused Layla to let out an undignified scream all the while spinning around with her hands firmly grasping the towel around her naked body.

"Who the hell said that?" yelled Layla as she scanned the room seeing no one around. "Maybe I'm finally going crazy." sighed Layla clearly thinking she imagined it.

"Love can make you crazy sometimes madam." came the voice again.

This time Layla spun around and stared at the vanity desk where the voice came from and there sitting on top of it was a beautiful woman with silver hair wearing a Victorian evening dress. The strangest thing about her was that she was only a foot tall and wore a jeweled masquerade mask over her eyes which Layla could see were red.

"W.ww What are you?" said Layla with an uncharacteristic stutter.

The sliver haired woman stood and curtsied. "Forgive me for my late introduction madam, but I am Passion the spirit of romance."

To be continued.


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you for your reviews. I have to tell you that reviews are the drugs of writers, they make us high and we always want more. Here is the next chapter and if you hate it drop an email bomb to my computer to stop me. Muhahahahahaha, and I'm spent. With that said on to the retarded disclaimer.

**Note**: I don't own the Kaleido Star series or characters, so don't sue, you wont get anything out of it.

Thoughts are in italic

Flashbacks are in bold italic

Chapter 2

"What do you mean the spirit of romance?" questioned Layla, to say she was shocked by the fairies presence was an understatement.

"As I said madam I am Passion the spirit of romance and I've come to show you the path to true happiness." said the spirit as she spun around for dramatic effect and this was when Layla first noticed the spirit spoke with a French accent.

Layla couldn't believe what she was seeing. Sure she met the spirit of the stage, but for some reason this spirit, who appeared much less severe, was all the more imposing. "I'm familiar with spirits, but why is the spirit of romance appearing before me?"

Passion was surprised at the mention of another spirit but she decided to explain her presence. "I appear before destined souls and guide them to true happiness, and I've a come to you because a soul can travel through this world many times and never find their soul mates, and you are fortunate enough to have fate guide you to yours."

"So are you trying to tell me your fate?" said a now skeptical Layla.

"No, but you could say I work for fate. All spirits in the universe work for fate, well that's not entirely true, the spirit of fortune works for himself, but don't get me started on him." Passion took a second to calm down then continued. "To get back on to topic, you were in serious danger of passing up your one true love and fate decided to step in and give you a push in the right direction. That's where I come in, patron of everlasting romance at your service" said the fairy with another curtsy.

The shock of seeing the spirit finally wore off and Layla was now angry for Passion's unwanted appearance. " I don't care what you are, but I have to meet someone at the airport very soon and I'd appreciate it if you would go back where you came from. I don't need some spirit of romance trying to play matchmaker for me."

"Oh and why not madam?" said an amused Passion. She really did like it when her charges were spitfires, It made her time all the more enjoyable.

"Because I choose where, when, and who I fall in love, and I don't need some lackey of fate deciding that for me."

"I believe that's already out of your hands madam." said Passion knowingly.

"Are you saying I'm in love already?" questioned Layla.

" That's not for me to say."

"Are you always this vague?" said Layla who was now growing irritated.

"Being vague is part of my job description madam, I'm not here to interfere only to guide and when its needed I push everything in the right direction." said Passion with a certain haughtiness.

Layla didn't like the sound of that. She wasn't enthusiastic about having a spirit meddling around with her love life, a non existent one at that. "I think your presence here is pointless, I would be the first one to know if I was in love, so having a spirit of romance around seems rather useless."

The spirit had to laugh at that. "Are you telling me your not interested in anyone Ms. Hamilton?"

"yes."

Passion got a mischievous gleam in her eye. "How about hmm… ah yes, perhaps your old partner Yuri?"

"I know for sure Yuri is not my soul mate." said a shocked Layla. "Sure we went out a few times, but there weren't any sparks between us."

"So it's not Yuri?" asked Passion as she put her hands behind her back and strolled about the vanity desk.

"No!" said Layla with finality.

"Please forgive me madam I'm usually quite good at this." It was rather clear that Passion was playing her. "Well then let me see…. How about Jacob from Broadway?"

"Are you kidding? Just because we had to kiss on stage doesn't mean I liked him, and for your information he was horrid kisser." said Layla. She was tired of playing this game and was growing even more irritated by the second.

Sensing she may have pushed her luck, Passion ventured one more time. "I see my intuition is not what it used to be but if I was to make on more guess I would say it was the person you were selecting your wardrobe for earlier."

"That's enough!" Layla finally had enough of this. "I'll have you know that the person I'm meeting at the airport is a very good friend of mine and she is also a SHE."

The spirit stopped her pacing and smiled knowingly. "A woman you say, hmmm…. perhaps I was mistaken. I guess a woman wouldn't know how to return another woman's love." said Passion sarcastically. "Please excuse me madam but I don't want to keep you any longer if you don't leave soon you will be late."

Not missing the spirit's sarcastic tone, but not wanting to argue anymore, Layla turned around and stared at the clock. Passion was right, if Layla didn't leave soon she would be late. "If you don't mind I have to leave."

Layla went to choose an outfit, but the spirit's words still unsettled her so she grabbed the nearest one and started to get dressed. Before she removed her towel she looked over her shoulder. Sitting atop her makeup case was the still present spirit. Instead of leaving, Passion made herself comfortable and started staring at Layla lecherously. Layla was wondering why the spirit was still there "Do you mind?"

"Is there something wrong madam? There is nothing to be shy about. We are both woman after all so please continue." said Passion with an extremely seductive smile plastered on her face.

Layla didn't say anything at all, it was then Passion noticed her left eye started twitching.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Five minutes later

"Let me out right now, you can't treat a lady like this." yelled Passion from inside the vanities cabinet.

"You be quiet, I'll let you out when I'm finished." said Layla as she finished zipping up her skirt. The knocking from the cabinet only got louder "I can't believe it, your worst than Fool." at the mention of Fool's name the pounding stopped.

"Did you just say Fool." asked Passion from inside her makeshift wooden prison. "As in the spirit of the …."

"Stage? Yes I know him, and just like him your both annoy…." Layla started to say but stopped when she turned around and saw Passion sitting atop the vanity again. "How did you get out?"

"Lets just say I was properly motivated. Now answer me, how do you know Fool?"

"I'm sorry this conversation is over, I have to go." and with that said, Layla grabbed her purse and headed out of the hotel room.

"Madam, MADAM!" yelled Passion at the retreating woman. "Sacrebleu! Why do I always get the difficult ones?"

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Layla's car stuck in traffic thirty minutes later.

Layla was unsettled after her visit from the spirit of romance. She didn't have time to think about it when she was rushing to the airport but now with her car stuck in the middle of traffic she didn't have any other choice but to go over the night's events in her mind.

"_I can't believe the audacity of that spirit. My fate is my own and I refuse to believe I have no choice on who my destined someone is."_

"_**This is ridiculous, why can't I decide on one? I'm just picking up Sora so why does it even matter?" **_

"_**Because you want to look your best when meeting the one that sets your body aflame." **_

"_Why was I so worried about what I looked like, and why am I so nervous about seeing Sora again? This isn't like me, I don't get nervous about seeing anyone let alone Sora of all people. Stop it Layla, your thoughts are just wondering. If that annoying spirit hadn't put those thoughts into your head everything would be fine. I'll Just forget what she said. It doesn't do me any good thinking about it now"_

The traffic started moving again and Layla was given renewed hope that she would make it on time. She decided it would be quicker if she turned off onto the freeway and went to the airport that way. It was a gamble trying a road she had never been on before but she didn't have any other choice. This was unfamiliar territory and she would have to try her best.

A small opening appeared between the traffic and she had to make it quick before it closed. This was the best time to put her Mustang GT convertible to the test. Layla stepped on the gas and flew across the lanes at neck breaking speed dodging a minivan and an eighteen wheeler. The run was smooth and perfect, and Layla was happy her reflexes were still honed.

"_If the surgery doesn't work out maybe I'll try my hand at race car driving."_

Layla's thoughts were cut short by the presence of flickering lights in her rear view mirror. She had the mind to ignore the lights and floor it but the quick on and off sound of a siren destroyed that idea. Layla had no choice but to pull over. "Could this day get any better." said Layla as she looked at herself in the mirror. "I know it's degrading but lets just get this over with, a quick flirt and he'll let me go with a warning."

"License an registration please." said the female police officer as she approached the window.

Layla sighed. "Figures."

"_I'll never forget this day as long as I live."_

_>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>_

Flight 101 circling Boston Logan International

"_I'll never forget this day as long as I live."_

Sora couldn't believe she got bumped to first class. She'd flown many times in an airplane but she had never experienced flying first class before. Sora was always a firm believer in flying conservatively so she never opted to get a first class booking. When they announced that they would be pulling people from other parts of the plane to fill some first class seats, Sora was pleasantly surprised she was chosen, and for the duration of the flight she felt like a queen, especially with flight attendants waiting on constantly.

"_So this is what Layla gets to feel like coming from such a wealthy family, but who am I kidding, Layla-san is the type of person that likes to do things for herself. I remember when she made us coffee over a month ago, and Its to bad I can still taste it, but at least she tried and that's what counts."_

**Attention everybody, we are on final approach to Logan International. Fasten your seat belts and make sure your seats and tray tables are in their up-right, locked position.**

"_It's a shame this has to end but at least I'll see be seeing Layla soon."_

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Airport after landing

The flight was actually quite refreshing for Sora. She got off the plane and headed strait for the baggage claim. Sora wasn't sure about what to do next. The only details she got from Kalos was to arrive at this airport and wait outside of terminal G. "I wonder were she is?"

When ten minutes passed and no sign of anyone appeared, Sora became a little worried.

People, nothing but an ocean of people greeted Layla when she arrived at the terminal G. One face after another passed by with no sign of Sora. Layla cursed herself for not arriving sooner. Had she not been late, she would have been able to see the incoming passengers as they arrived, and that would have made it much easier to spot the lavender haired Kaleido star.

Layla walked over and leaned against one of the support columns and let out an epic sigh. If she had been a smoker, she would have it up right there and then, the rules be damned.

The day had been a quagmire and Layla was about fed up with it. First with the arrival of Passion then the police officer and now this. If one thing could be said about Layla Hamilton, it would be that she could always maintain graceful elegance in all of her pursuits whether it be performing acrobatic stunts or doing everyday things like walking. This could not be used to describe Layla today. It seemed every event today one after the other was designed to knock Layla out of her poise.

Taking a deep breath Layla calmed herself and regained a measure of her sanity. "The sooner I find Sora the better off I'll be." with that Layla moved away from the column and resumed her search.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Sora was starting to get worried. _"Maybe something happened to her?" _It was almost as if Sora could sense Layla was somewhere in distress. Sora decided it was best if she called to make sure everything was alright. Just when Sora turned to the pay phone area a flash of gold caught her eye. Right next to a support column was a woman with bright golden hair that started moving to the baggage claim area.

A wave of relief passed through Sora. Even though the blonde haired woman was facing away from her, Sora could tell it Layla. Her hair was much longer since the last time she'd seen her, It now came down to her shoulder.

"Wow… she's as elegant as always." thought Sora as she noted Layla's confident walk and poise.

Barely keeping her excitement to herself, Sora quickened her pace to a near run. It wasn't easy getting to where Layla was, it seemed the universe was playing tricks on her because the closer she got to her destination the thicker the crowd got.

Sora decided to whip out a move from her acrobatic arsenal and did a back flip and a spin over the crowd. The move would have been flawless but when she landed near Layla she stepped in a puddle of liquid that someone spelt causing her to lose balance. Sora tried in vain to stable herself but she ended up slipping forward headlong into the unexpecting former Kaleido star.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Layla began to think that maybe Sora's flight had been delayed. Right when Layla turned to the counter to check the flights something crashed into her causing her to fall backwards. When the vertigo and shock wore off Layla looked up to see what hit her she gasped out in surprise.

Layla's sky blue orbs met Sora's warm chocolate ones. Both woman were frozen in time. Their breath's mingled warmly from lips no more than a few centimeters apart. In the passing of a fleeting moment Layla realized just who she was staring at.

"Sora."

The name escaped from Layla's lips in the faintest of whispers. Only to be answered back just as quietly.

"Layla."

To be continued, well duh, if I didn't I would be a real ass


	3. Chapter 3

Thank you for reviewing, you keep me happy and being happy is what I live for. As was pointed out this story takes place post Legend of the Phoenix, if you haven't seen it, get off your ass, what are you waiting for.

Disclaimer: I don't own Kaleido star, a nice car, house, 10 carat diamond ring or my mother's rice soup recipe, I think you get the point now on with the show.

Note: After looking at the fic I realized that my system needed some tweaking. By putting _Italic_ text as thought it made it confusing to read. It was hard to tell where overt subject started and invert subject began, so I decided to make all thoughts in **_bold_** text and all emphasis or flashback in _Italic_. Thatas they say is that.

Chapter 3

Sora finally snapped out of her daze when she realized just who she was laying on top of.

"Oh my god Layla I'm so sorry." said Sora finally breaking the spell they were both in.

"Sora can I ask what your doing on top of me?"

"It was kind of an accident I slipped in a puddle trying to get your attention."

"Mission accomplished Sora, you have my attention, but if you wouldn't mind I would like to get up now."

Sora realized she was still on top of Layla. She got off of her apologizing profusely. Sora noticed Layla's purse off to the side and went to pick it up, unfortunately Layla went to do the same. There was an audible thump when both heads collided with each other. Sora quickly started rubbing the top of her forehead while Layla was rubbing near the bridge of her nose. Both woman stopped their post collision recuperation and stared at one another.

Normally Layla would have been angry over such a careless accident but the apologetic look Sora gave her made her do something she hadn't done for years. Layla Hamilton started giggling, not the modest laugh a grown woman would give, but a chuckle that would come from a little girl that saw her fist shooting star. Maybe it was a physical release from the crazy day she had or maybe it was the presence of Sora, who had talent in bringing out hidden parts of herself.

Some of the people passing near by could have sworn that this blonde headed woman had gone crazy. Sora might have agreed with them. Seeing Layla laughing was one thing she hadn't gotten used to and it never ceased to take her by surprise. The way Layla's eyes sparkled and the way her entire body shook was like her whole purpose was enjoying that mirthful moment. Sora couldn't help herself, seeing Layla like that made her feel happy for reasons she couldn't explain and she gave the Broadway star a million dollar smile.

Seeing Sora smile at her like that with a bright blush on her face worked wonders on sobering Layla up. Her recent erratic thoughts concerning the Kaleido star where enough to make Layla self-conscious plus she never liked people seeing an unprofessional side of herself, even when it was Sora. It just seemed when Sora was around she had less control over her emotions. Layla was starting to wonder if it was a good idea to have Sora come here, but then one look at Sora's smile and Layla suddenly could care less.

"I think we should go, people are starting to stare." said Layla as she attempted to break the awkward moment.

Sora took the hint, she could tell Layla was embarrassed over her uncharacteristic display. "Sure Layla, lets go pick up my bags and head out."

The two woman walked in an uncomfortable silence before the blonde decided to break it up with some levity. "I was beginning to think you were mad at me for making you come here."

That comment puzzled Sora. "Mad at you?"

"Yes, what with you tackling me and then trying to knock me unconscious." Layla's jest got the intended response, Sora promptly blushed.

"_**She is cute when she's flustered. Wait, did I just think that." **_It was Layla's turn to blush and she looked away. Despite her errant thoughts, Layla was starting to feel a little better. She didn't realize just how fun teasing Sora was.

"Well Layla It really wasn't my fault, not entirely anyway. I saw you through the crowd but I couldn't get to you so I decided to go over them to get your attention."

"You cleared all of those people on a jump just to get my attention. I must say Sora, I'm impressed." responded Layla as she turned to look at the Japanese woman.

"I didn't want to lose you in the crowd, but maybe it was better if I didn't take it to the extreme I did. My landing was foiled by some water that was spilled on the floor and I slipped, and you know what happens next."

Sora finally claimed her suitcase off of the conveyer belt and both her and Layla headed out of the airport.

"I cant believe someone was careless enough to leave their spilled drink all over the floor, you lucky I was there to break your fall or you could have been hurt."

"I could think of much less pleasant things to fall on." responded Sora on impulse before she could consider what she was saying.

"_**Did Sora just flirt with me?" **_thought a confused Layla.

"_**Did I just flirt with Layla?" **_thought an equally confused Sora.

Finally exiting the terminal both sighed in relief. The cool night air was welcome after just being in an airport where both woman could have sworn the temperature rose several degrees in the last couple of seconds.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

From inside the terminal a silver haired fairy watched with amusement. She was sitting on an empty bottle of water near the spot where Layla and Sora had their collision. "Well then, that worked out better than I expected." said the spirit of romance quite pleased with herself.

She never thought she would have gotten an answer to her rhetorical musings but a man's voice changed that.

"I knew I sensed the queen of meddling near by, and I see your up to your same old tricks."

Passion didn't need to turn around to know who spoke up. The only thing she said in response was one word.

"Fool."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Fool and Passion retreated to a realm only accessible to lesser fairies. It was a void in reality bathed in a soft blue glow. Spirits would retreat to this place when they needed to travel from one point to another but the current occupants were there for some privacy.

"What are you doing stalking my charge Passion?" said an unamused Fool.

"I didn't know you were assigned to Layla?" said the spirit of romance. The woman that circled Fool in the eerie blue glow was not the same woman Layla met that evening. Gone was the mischievous smile and lively eyes. In it's place was a sorrow filled gaze and a demeanor was almost timid.

Fool could see the hurt in her eyes but he cold care less. For all the pain this retched spirit caused him in his life, he considered himself generous by showing her as much civility as he did." I'm not assigned to Layla, I was talking about Sora."

"Sora, the lilac haired Japanese woman?" questioned Passion It was more a rhetorical statement than a question.

"Yes." was Fool simple reply

"I'm sorry if I stepped into your territory but this Sora is the one I have to lead to Layla."

"Are you telling me you've been assigned to Layla, and that her and Sora are…?"

"Yes." interrupted Passion

Fool was surprised, sure he knew something was going on between Layla and Sora that exceeded mere friendship but her never thought that they were…?

Fool's thoughts were cut short by the female spirit. " I just remembered something Fool, but wasn't the legendary maneuver successfully performed and from what I've heard, Sora has become the true Kaleido star, so what are you still doing with Sora anyway?"

For the first time since they began to talk, Fool smiled. Not because he was warming up to Passion but because of the circumstances. "Actually Sora's not in my care any longer"

This clarification worried Passion. "Fool please don't tell me your in lo…"

"No!" Fool quickly snapped,. He guessed the past was never truly forgotten if that's what Passion was thinking. "Sora has nothing to do with _her_."

That was like a slap to Passion's face, "I didn't mean it like that, I was simply.."

"Jumping to conclusions." interrupted Fool. He didn't like how this conversation was going so he decided to just leave it be. "Look Passion that was a long time ago and I've changed. I am all about seeing worthy performers succeed to stardom. I don't get involved anymore, I'm strictly business."

"You said Sora became a true Kaleido star so why are you still following her?" reasoned the spirit of romance.

"Because I'm not here on business I'm here because I had some free time and wanted to see how my friend Sora was doing on her vacation, that's all."

"Good friend Sora? I thought you said you said you don't get involved."

"When its business I'm all about the job but I'm here on my own time."

Both spirits were surprised just how easy they fell back on old companionable ease. It was like the old days before their falling out. Fool realized he should despise this woman but a civilized conversation with someone not trying to tie you up or cram you into a confined space was hard to come by these days and he couldn't help relaxing in the silver haired woman's presence. "I was taking a break from my current charge and decided to visit Sora, who I must say is always entertaining on or off the stage, it was then I learned of this little trip and decided to come along."

"So you heard of this little get together and you followed her all the way here, in other words your stalking her." said Passion jokingly.

"I was not stalking her." said an irritated Fool.

"_**Why must all the woman I meet Lately be so insulting?" **_

"I merely read an interesting fortune that encouraged me to tag along."

Passion seemed quite interested now, Fool had an amazing ability to foretell the future, one that would have been useful in her line of work, and she was very interested in what might happen with her current assignment. "What was it monsieur, I would be most interested?

Not wanting to make her job any easier but always wanting to show off, Fool told her. "To put it simply a trying time is ahead but if all goes well the constellation of Leo and Sagittarius may share a position in the night sky."

Not exactly what Passion was hoping for but it was promising none the less. "Vague as always huh Fool."

"The future is never certain." said fool as he produced a circling ring of tarot cards, after a few revolutions he stopped and chose one, when he flipped it up the picture showed an upside-down medieval fortress. "Ah yes the inverted castle, old walls built to keep people out will began to crumble. Hmm… interesting future."

For once Fool didn't know what to make of his own fortune. When Fool decided to look up he spotted the spirit of romance smiling at him.

"That was, how do they say, ah yes… cool, yes that was very cool monsieur." said an entertained Passion. "Its true you are the patron of entertainment."

Hearing praise always got Fool in a good mood. "I don't know Passion, that little water trap you set up for Sora had me laughing harder than I can remember."

"You saw that?"

"Yes, and if I don't watch out fate might replace me." joked the spirit of the stage. "maybe I'll get your job, I bet being the spirit of romance you get to see some very interesting things."

"Sometimes." the mischievous smile returned but faded just as quickly. "But I suspect with Layla as my charge I'll be spending a lot of time locked in confining spaces."

Fool sympathized, oh how he sympathized. "I feel your pain."

"**_Perhaps Sora and Layla were truly meant for each other after all." _**mused Fool.

Laughing and taking like this brought back some happy memories for Passion and Fool, and they were happy they were able to spend time together. After that was when Fool realized that maybe his fortune of the inverted castle wasn't for Sora and Layla but for him and Passion. Maybe it was time for the walls built between them to crumble.

"I have a proposition." started Passion, she realized what the fortune could mean as well and she was willing to take that first step.

"Go on." said Fool interested in what the silver haired woman had to say.

"Why don't we call a truce and work together for old time sakes. You help me push things along with Sora and I'll do the same for Layla."

"Are you saying I should be a temporary spirit of romance." mused Fool as he imagined all the naughty things such a job would foretell.

Passion knew what he was thinking and couldn't help but laugh. "In a way yes, and it should be entertaining, isn't that what your all about?"

"Persuasive as always Passion…. I accept." with that said, Fool reached for Passion's hand and kissed it, Passion returned the gesture with a curtsy.

"_**Just like old times." **_both spirits thought simultaneously.

"Let the show begin." said Fool as the spirits faded in a flash.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The car ride was too quite. This wasn't the reunion Sora was hoping for. The tension in the air was stifling and Sora couldn't help but blame herself. Some of the things she did tonight embarrassed her more then she would have liked in front of Layla. The brunette debated the meaning of her relationship with the blonde for some time with no clear answers, but after today she was starting to get some important insight.

Similar thoughts ran through Layla head as she swerved in and out of traffic. At the airport Layla felt like a totally different person. It seemed Sora's presence had a stronger effect on her than she realized. In the uncomfortable silence of the car, her mind wondered over the words Passion said. _"The person that sets her body aflame."_

Layla scoffed at that but tonight when Sora was on top of her she definitely felt some heat, more heat than she could ever remember feeling. Did that mean she was attracted to the Lilac haired Kaleido star. Layla looked towards Sora by the corner of her eye. She noticed the skirt Sora was wearing rode a little high on her legs.

"_**She really does have nice legs." **_thought Layla but she quickly checked herself. **_"Stop that." _**To keep herself away from unwanted thoughts she refocused on the road.

Sora looked at Layla who for all appearances was very intent on her driving, but she couldn't help but wonder why Layla's normally alabaster cheeks were glowing red. Sora _thought_ Layla was really focused on her driving but when they nearly rear ended a Honda she had second thoughts. The quiet was stifling and Sora, ever the entertainer decided to engage the blonde in some conversation.

"These are a nice set of wheels Layla."

"What?" said Layla finally snapping out her stupor.

"I said this was a nice car." reiterated Sora now beginning to feel stupid at her choice of conversation.

"It's a good car, Macquarie picked it out, it's a rental."

"Macquarie here?" questioned Sora. After hearing Macquarie's name, her mood dropped somewhat. After finding out Macquarie had such a long history with Layla made thinking of the maid frustrating. Knowing the maid was here with Layla in Boston irked her, but she figured Layla had her come along. Being from the Hamilton family had to have its privileges and a personal servant was always handy.

Layla was glad Sora tried to engage her in some conversation but was disappointed when it abruptly stopped after she mentioned Macquarie. **_"Maybe she's jealous." _**That thought only improved her mood. "**_Why do I want her to be jealous?" _**Layla had so many question of late, but so few answers.

After spending so much time apart from one another, both girls were eager to see each other again, but now that they were together, neither knew how to proceed. Fortunately for both of them a third party solved that problem. A loud rumbling sound filled the car. At first Layla didn't know what to make of it, but after she looked over at Sora who was ten shades redder, she realized the sound came from the oriental girl's stomach.

"Excuse me!" exclaimed Sora who's eyes were as wide as saucers.

For the second time tonight Layla bust out in a fit of girlish laughter.

"It wasn't that funny." exclaimed the embarrassed brunette.

"No but it was completely adorable." said Layla as she suddenly stopped laughing. She was shocked something like that came out of her mouth.

Sora was shocked as well. To have Layla say that about her was unexpected. **_"So Layla thinks I'm adorable." _**knowing Layla felt that way about her made Sora giddy.

Layla turned to Sora hoping the comment didn't upset her, but what she found instead was Sora staring off into space with a warm smile plastered to her face. **_"So she likes being complemented by me." _**despite the blondes recent reservation she was happy to see Sora appreciated her complement.

Deciding to just go with the flow, Layla started to feel much better. Thanks to Sora's empty stomach, the awkward silence turned into a companionable one. "Sora would you like something to eat, I'm sure I can get Macquarie to make us something." at the mention of the maids name, Sora's smile faded. "No, I wouldn't want to bother her."

"_**Maybe Sora really doesn't like Macquarie."**_

"How about I take you somewhere to eat."

"It's really not necessary. I'll find someth……"

"Please Sora I insist." interrupted Layla before the oriental girl could refuse.

After hearing the blonde say please, Sora found she was powerless to refuse. "Ok Layla, I would that very much." said Sora in a low soft voice.

Hearing Sora's tone of voice gave Layla goose bumps. **_"I wonder if that's what she sound when she's aroused?"_** Layla would have slapped herself for that if it didn't make her look crazy. She didn't even want to start analyzing that thought.

"So where are we going, I could go for a pizza or even a burger." mused Sora.

The comment brought the blonde out of thoughts. "I have a place in mind." Layla remembered seeing a nice restaurant on the way to the airport. Putting a little more gas to the car she took off in a hurry, obviously forgetting her earlier run in with the law.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Having hid in the backseat compartment, Fool and Passion watched with interest. "This seems to be unfolding nicely." said Passion with a smile more fitting for a sinister Imp of misfortune than a benevolent spirit of romance.

"So what is it you do exactly?" questioned Fool.

"I create opportunities for love to flourish, after all the path to true love is paved with…"

"Let me guess, romance." interrupted Fool. "That was corny."

"Like your spooky gypsy routine is something to be proud over."

"I'll have you know that I practice the art of sooth saying."

"So says the sooth sayer." mocked Passion in a stage voice.

"Really cute." came Fool sarcastic reply.

Passion didn't respond to that. She put her finger to her chin in thought when something finally came to her. She slowly turned to Fool and scrutinized him from head to toe.

"What?" said Fool, not liking the look he was getting.

"How are your acting skills oh spirit of the stage." said the sliver haired woman with her French accented tone.

There was an unsettling glimmer in Passion's eyes that could only mean trouble. "Fine but why?"

Fool wasn't the only one who could do a trick or two. "Lets just say people want something more when they know others want to take it away."

Passion began laughing evilly and Fool began to wonder what he signed up for.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

When Layla's rental pulled into a small parking lot, Sora's eyes nearly popped out of her head when she saw the place. The eating establishment was beyond fancy. Looking at the expensive cars in the parking lot, the Kaleido star knew the clientele the restaurant usually hosted was way past her price range.

"Layla we can't eat here." Sora didn't think she had enough money in her bank account to pay for appetizers.

"Why not?" said a confused Layla.

Sora became sheepish. "I can't afford to eat in a place like this."

"Don't worry Sora it's on me."

"It wouldn't feel right, I couldn't take……."

"I was the one who asked you, so its my treat." reasoned the blonde trying to put Sora at ease. "Please."

That six letter word worked magically on Sora. "Ok but next we go somewhere It's on me."

"_**She can be so stubborn. Its one of the many things I like about you Sora."**_ thought Layla. "Sounds good."

Entering the restaurant was like stepping into a different world for Sora. High society types where everywhere seated throughout the establishment, and waiters moved like busy bees seeing to their every whims in hopes of getting a generous tip.

Looking at everyone's attire made Sora realize that she was sorely underdressed. Layla was wearing an expensive spaghetti strap top with a matching black skirt that showed off her perfect legs. The blondes fashion fit in perfectly here.

"_**She really is beautiful. I'm not even in the same league."**_ thought Sora as she mentally berated herself. "I don't think I'm dressed right for this place Layla."

Layla wondered why the brunette said that. She looked at Sora intently, she was dressed in a crème colored short sleeve peasant top and skirt with a thin white sweater over that. Radiant was the word Layla would use to describe the lilac haired brunette. Sora's attire was filled out perfectly by her fine tuned athletic body and Layla had to hide her blush when she stared at Sora for too long. **_"What does she mean by underdressed?"_**

"I think you look perfect Sora." Layla had to be honest and she was happy to see Sora visibly relax.

"_**If that is what Layla thinks then to hell with everybody else." **_thought a content Sora. "Shall we then?"

"Of course."

The two woman approached a very snooty looking host. Sora let Layla do the talking, it was her type of place after all. "We would like a table for two please."

"I'm sorry madam but on such short notice we cant find you a table right away, if you would like to wait at the bar until one come open I'm sure everything will be work out.

"That will be fine." with that the host showed them to the bar and left them quickly.

Looking around the two woman spotted two empty seats and sat down. The bartender came and asked for their drinks, both not really thirsty declined.

Sora noticed the bar was like a scene from a James Bond movie. High priced suits and scantily clad woman were everywhere, this wasn't the kind of place Sora enjoyed to go. Layla noticed this and sympathized with Sora.

"_**I hope we get a table soon."**_

"Excuse me is this seat taken?" said a rakishly handsome man in an Armani suit. He was pointing at the vacant seat next to Sora.

"No, please go ahead." said Sora not wanting to be impolite.

The man happily sat down, and stared at Sora. Layla noticed this and couldn't help but feel irritated.

"_**I'm not jealous." **_thought Layla trying to convince herself.

"My name is Fredrick, may I ask what your name is?" said the man with a shiny smile.

"Yes my name is Sora and this is…."

"Sora, what a beautiful name, Japanese right?" interrupted Fredrick, not caring to know who the blonde was.

"Yes I.." Started Sora but the man pushed forward.

"Very nice, I couldn't help notice you were alone so how about I buy you a drink and we get to know one another." insisted Fredrick. He was now wearing a creepish smile.

"I not alon…"

"So what would you like?" interrupted the man again waving over the bartender.

This Fredrick instantly got on Layla's nerves. The way the man was staring at Sora was like a person picking out their favorite cuts of meat, plus he was just plain rude. **_"I know your type, if you think I'm going to let you bother Sora, your wrong."_**

"Excuse me but I think we would rather be alone." said Layla for the first time since the man sat down.

"Your excused, me and … Sora was it, yes me and Sora were having a conversation." said the man barely recognizing Layla presence.

Layla was furious at his audacity. The former Kaleido star was a few second's away from breaking his neck.

Sora didn't know what to make of it, this man was beyond persistent and he was openly rude to Layla. **_"That's unforgivable." _**thought Sora now growing visibly upset.

Layla saw this and thought it was best to leave the jerk and go. Layla got up and held out her hand. "Come on Sora lets go."

Seeing the out stretched hand Sora didn't hesitate to take it, when her hand enclosed around Sora's a jolt of electricity past through them that made them forget the annoying man for a second.

When Sora rose to leave the man stopped her movements with a firm clasp over her left arm. "Woah where do you think your going, we aren't done talking yet." said the man, his smile now gone and in its place was a sinister smirk.

Layla lost all traces of civility. **_"How dare he touch her." _**fumed the blonde, but before she could make a move the Kaleido star beat her to it.

Sora reached over with a well aimed knee to the groin that loosened the hold he had on her arm. Her bold move shocked Layla as well as her self. All she knew was Fredrick's touch made her hair stand on her head.

Recovering from the shock Layla pulled on Sora hand and together they left the restaurant.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Fredrick limped out into the back alley. He couldn't believe Sora hit him, sure he was persistent but why there of all places. He was about to check if he could still father kids when a side splitting laugh sounded out behind him. Fredric turned around and gave the sliver haired woman a sincere look of displeasure. "I'm glad your having fun Passion."

"That was so perfect, I will cherish this memory for eternity." Said Passion who was still in a fit of chuckles.

"I'm glad my pain amuses you now can you please turn me back?"

"Fine but I must say that look is very becoming." joked Passion, deciding to get down to business, a glow engulfed the spirits body and with a flourish of Passion's hand the man known as Fredrick cease to exist, and in its place stood a funny walking Fool.

"Does it still hurt?" asked an unsympathetic spirit of romance.

"What do you think?" deadpanned Fool.

"C'est la vie." returned the spirit finally getting her laughter under control. "You should congratulate yourself on a great performance, you give your title credence."

"Thank you but what does pissing them off have to do with romance."

"In the face of common diversity, two soul are brought closer together." said Passion twirling in a circle and then doing a curtsy.

"That was corny."

"Oh shut up."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

It took several minutes before the two woman calmed down, and it was several more minutes until they realized they were walking in the opposite direction as their car. Neither realized the whole time they were still holding hands. People passing by thought they looked like a cute couple, what with it being Boston and all.

Sora knew they were still holding hand, and she should have let go but something about it made her feel comfortable and after the episode in the restaurant she could use a little comfort.

Sora's thoughts were almost identical to Layla's. "**_I know I should let go, but this feels so nice. Good friends hold hands don't they, but I never had a friend close enough before to try."_** thought Layla as she looked at the brunette beside her. **_"Maybe I do now." _**finished the blonde with a smile.

"I'm sorry for ruining our dinner Layla." spoke up Sora.

"You didn't ruin our dinner, that jerk did."

"But I attacked him and made a scene." lamented the brunette.

"I think he got what he deserved." reasoned Layla with a smile and a small squeeze of their hand.

Sora was grateful for the blondes understanding. They both continued in a silent walk that could easily be seen as a couple strolling along enjoying the sights. The quiet moment was broken by the rumbling of a stomach, but this time it wasn't Sora's.

"Excuse me, I forgot to eat before going to the airport." apologized the blonde whose face became cherry colored.

Right then some neon lights caught Sora eye. "Come on I have some place I want to go." said the brunette as she pulled a curious blonde along with her.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"One large with everything on it." said Sora to a man wearing a chef's hat.

Layla leaned over to Sora. "I don't like mushrooms." whispered the blonde.

Having Layla's breath crash against her ear caused a tingle of excitement to go down Sora's spine. "Could you please hold the mushrooms."

"One large pizza with everything but mushrooms coming."

Sora reached into her purse and produced the money for the pizza, but Layla saw this and went to intercept. "No Sora let me."

"I suggested the place so its on me." said Sora using Layla's earlier words against her.

"Ok but next…"

"Its on you." said Sora with a wink as she reached over and paid for the food and drinks.

"It will be done in a minute, here is your ticket, please have a seat I'll bring it to you shortly." finished the friendly cashier.

"Thank you." "Thank you." said the two woman at the same time.

Sora led them to a booth and they took a seat across from each other on the benches. This was more Sora's environment and it showed on her relaxed demeanor. Layla on the other hand was a different story. Where as Sora was underdressed for the restaurant, Layla was overdressed for this small pizza parlor where most people had on blue jeans and T-shirts.

Layla would never show that she was feeling awkward instead she was acted nonchalant with a rigid posture. This didn't fool Sora who spent time living with Layla. She knew when the other woman got like that she was embarrassed. "Relax Layla, there are people here to eat and enjoy themselves they don't care what people are wearing."

Layla smiled and relaxed, she forgot how good Sora became at reading her feelings. "Your right I'm just a little self-conscious."

A few moments past. "I can't wait, I'm starving." said Sora as she leaned back and rubbed her stomach. "Poor baby, mama's going to make it all better."

The other woman's antics struck a cord in Layla and she started giggling. With Sora that was happening a lot lately and she was starting to really enjoy it.

Sora was glad she got the intended reaction. Making people smile was truly her joy in life, and making Layla smile and laugh felt like winning the lottery.

"Here your pizza, you two ladies enjoy said the cashier as he put the pizza on the table.

"Arigato." said Sora as she wasted no time in digging in.

Both girls sat there eating for a moment when the brunette decided to gauge the reason for her visit. "So Layla why did you want me to come here?"

Layla took her time in answering and when she spoke up she gave Sora her full attention. Most of the reasons for doing the operation rested heavily on how Sora reacted to the news and she didn't want the brunette to be threatened about her returning to the stage.

"Sora awhile back I read an article in the newspaper about a doctor experimenting with revolutionary new surgery regarding bone and ligament injuries. I didn't know if it could help me but I wanted to hope it could. I had my doctor send my medical information to the specialist's office to see if there was a chance. I held my hope for a long time until I was contacted about it several days ago. I met here in Boston and the doctor told me.. well she told me that it was possible that my injury could recover and I could get the full use of my shoulder."

Before Layla could finish the unexpected happened. She knew Sora was athletic on a level few could compare to but she couldn't believe Sora could get up, walk around, and then slide into her booth seat and give her a bone crushing hug, in no more than half a second . The move was surprising but welcomed. Layla didn't know having someone so supportive of her felt so good. **_"Maybe relying on someone isn't a bad thing after all."_**

"I'm so happy for you Layla. This means we are going to partners again right?" said Sora as she moved back and stared Layla straight in the eye.

Having Sora so close and practically holding her did wonder to Layla body. Instead of becoming confused or flustered she decided just this once she was going to enjoy it. "I hope so Sora. I miss Kaleido stage more than I could ever dream but I miss being on stage with you the most."

Sora was so happy she was in near tears. Their little display was causing a few stares so Sora released Layla but remained seated next to her. "So when is the operation."

"Two days from now."

"Two days!" said a surprised Sora. "Is it dangerous?"

"Yes it is and that's why I needed you here." Layla became rather embarrassed for the next part. "I called you because I needed someone to be here for me during and after the operation. I'm not very good at relying on other people and you're the only person I truly trust. I called you here hoping you would help. I couldn't ask this over the phone, it was something I needed to do personally. Its asking a lot of you Sora, it takes several days post op if everything goes smoothly and then it take months of physical therapy to get my shoulder back to normal."

Sora stopped Layla by grabbing a hold of her hand. "Idiot."

"What?" gasped Layla, that wasn't the response she was hoping for.

Sora merely smiled. "You didn't need to ask Layla, of course I'll do anything to help. I want to be there for you no matter what it is, I thought you already knew that."

"I…" Layla didn't know what to say. Having Sora's answer was like picking a thousand pounds off of her chest. She was in awe at the woman in front of her, never had Layla met a woman quite like her.

Sora was hoping that Layla would grace her a smile or maybe even a thank you, but what happened took her by surprise. Tears began falling from Layla's eyes and she pulled Sora against her in a warm hug. The two woman shared a moment between them, they were getting looks from the other patrons but neither cared. The future looked bright and they were both happy thinking of good times ahead.

Both woman didn't know how long they stayed that way but their ice melted drinks and cold pizza told them it was time to go.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

They returned to the car and headed to the hotel barely saying more than two words the entire trip. Everything was out in the open and they sat back and enjoyed the company of one another.

When they walked into the hotel it was very late and they proceeded to the elevator toting Sora's luggage.

"I booked your room next to mine if you don't mind?" said Layla as the elevator began to ascend.

"I'm sure its nice." said the brunette giving Layla a warm smile.

When they arrived at the intended floor they walked toward their rooms deep in thought.

"_**I'm beginning to understand just what Layla means to me now. All the pieces are falling in place, I just hope Layla can feel the same way" **_thought Sora.

"_**Maybe the reasons behind feeling these things for Sora are much simpler than I thought. Sora's always been different than anyone I have ever met, even the first time I saw her I felt something different about her. I wonder if Sora ever felt the same" **_mused Layla.

Arriving at the door, Layla broke the silence. "I bet your tired after your long flight."

"To be honest the flight wasn't that long at all. They bumped me up to first class so I got to fly in style. It was great, they treated me like a queen."

The thought of Sora being royalty amused Layla. "Really? I thought you would be used to the royal treatment by now, what with you being the Kaleido star and all."

"Not really Layla, you were the only queen of Kaleido stage, Kalos goes out of his way to star a lot of performers so everyone's treated fairly."

"Are you saying I was high maintenance?" joked Layla with a straight face, but Sora thought she was serious.

"That's not what I meant at all." said Sora, worried that she might have insulted Layla. "It's just you were such a powerful presence on stage and the way you carried yourself there was really majestic but now that your gone its just me and I'll never come close to you Layla."

"I was kidding Sora." said Layla when the lavender haired woman had to take a breath. She then got Sora attention and looked her straight in the eye. "I agree with you Sora. I don't think you come close to me." before Sora could respond she continued. "I think you surpassed me a long time ago. I don't just mean performing Sora, I'm talking about what it is you bring to Kaleido stage. When your around you bring out a special part of everyone."

"Bringing out a special part of everyone?" asked an intrigued Sora.

"Yes. When your around people they remember that little voice they had when they were kids. That voice that said they wanted to be someone special someday. It's a voice that unfortunately fades as time goes by and people forget who they _wanted_ to be in favor of someone they think they _should_ be. And that's your power Sora, you make people remember those dreams and give them the spirit to fight and realize them once again."

Sora eyes glistened in the light. Layla words were spoken so passionately she knew that Layla believed every word. She never knew anyone felt that way about her, and she never thought her presence had that kind of effect on anyone's life. Normally she would be embarrassed if someone said these kind of thing about her, but coming from Layla it made her heart flutter.

Layla sensed a sort of calm settle over Sora who stood there staring at her without saying word. She couldn't believe the day she was having. Layla wondered where she found the nerve to tell Sora these type of things and she wondered if she went too far.

It was quiet between them when Sora decided to break the silence.

"What dream?" said the lavender haired Kaleido star.

"What dream?" returned Layla confused at the question.

"What was the dream I helped you realize?" asked a quiet Sora who took a step closer to Layla.

The blonde was curious as to why Sora was coming closer but she decided to answer honestly. "For me it wasn't a dream that you helped me remember but rather the dreamer."

"Layla I…."

"Let me finish." interrupted Layla. It was like opening a flood gate and it felt too good to stop. "Because of you I can remember how to cry, laugh, and dream of a better tomorrow. Because of you I realized that performing wasn't about being the star at all. It was about the crowd with their smiling faces and doing your best to make people happy. Just like I was when I saw a show for the first time." after this it was Layla's turn to take a step towards Sora.

"What I'm saying Sora is that you unlocked a part of me that I thought died with my mother and because of that you turned me from an unbeliever to a dreamer."

After hearing this Sora took the final step closer and now they were no more then few centimeters apart. A part of Layla wanted to put some distance between them but an even larger part wanted to remove what was left. Sora face was so close she could feel her breath tickling her lips.

"I'm really glad I met you." whispered Layla as she boldly reached up and put her palm against Sora's cheek. The blonde didn't even notice that her thumb automatically started caressing the skin under it.

Sora mind was in a haze. Being so near Layla's warm body and smelling her expensive perfume already caused her head to swim, but having the blonde caress her face was overkill. A rare feeling took control of Sora's body that she identified right away as desire.

"Layla." was all Sora whispered as she closed her eyes and leaned into the touch.

Layla had a reputation for being an ice queen, one she admitted was quite accurate, but when Sora closed her eyes and rubbed her cheek into Layla's palm, a fire ignited inside of her that melted the ice.

Sora was reluctant to look at the blonde's face. She had never physically been this bold with anyone in her life and was afraid to see her advances rejected, but when she finally opened her eyes she was shocked to see that her desire was being mirrored by Layla's own.

Everything was happening way too fast but both woman had neither the will or the desire to stop. When the heat between them reached the boiling point, Layla took the initiative by using her hand on Sora's cheek to bring their faces closer together. Their gazes spoke volumes and an unspoken agreement passed between. With mingled breaths the two woman closed their eyes and leaned in for the inevitable.

**Te be continued**. Growing up I always hated annoying cliffhangers but here I am giving you the same crap, but I have to admit its fun.


	4. Chapter 4

Thanks again for all of your kind reviews, yes I'm a review whore and a cheap one at that. If there is something you don't like tell me, don't worry I have the bomb squad on speed dial.

Disclaimer: Don't own Kaleido Star or its characters, If I did I would rehire the animators and get them to make a third season based on my story. A girl can dream damit.

Note: **_Bold _**are thoughts _Italics _are enfaces and flashbacks.

Chapter 4

Macquarie waited hours for her mistress to return. It was growing late and she was afraid something happened to her on the way to the airport. Normally Macquarie wouldn't bother Layla but she decided to call her to make sure she was all right. Macquarie dialed up Layla's cell and waited patiently, after a second she heard a ring somewhere in the bedroom. The maid followed the source of the sound and there sitting on the bed was Layla cell phone. Macquarie figured that her mistress left it there by accident.

"_**She must have been in a hurry."**_

The girl was growing frustrated, she walked back to the living room where the meal she prepared was getting cold. It was Layla's favorite and she took extra care in preparing it for the blonde mistress. Realizing there was nothing more she could do right now, Macquarie walked towards the door to leave the apartment, but when she heard the sound of muffled voices she stopped in her tracks. The muffled voices were too quiet to hear so she couldn't understand what was being said, but one of the voices she knew by heart to be none other than her mistress, which meant the other had to be Sora's.

"_**Oh how I despise her." **_thought the maid, glad that Layla was ok but frustrated that Sora spent this whole time with the blonde.

Curiosity overwhelmed any reservations Macquarie might have had about spying, so she stared into the peephole and was greeted by the sight of Layla and Sora standing very close to each other in what can only be described as an intimate conversation. The way that Layla looked at Sora and the fire that burned in her eyes as she poured her heart out about something made Macquarie mad with jealousy. The lavender haired brunette was only here for a few short hours and she already had Layla showing more emotion than her mistress displayed in the last month.

"_**Why couldn't Layla just see how much I cared for her." **_

Macquarie stewed in silence watching the whole heart breaking display. She was about to turn away when she saw Sora take a step closer to Layla. She knew Sora had feelings for Layla, it was quite blatant how the brunette felt a month ago in New York but she didn't think Sora would impose her feelings on Layla so soon. Macquarie was tempted to interrupt on behalf of her mistress, but was stopped cold when Layla took a step closer to Sora. **_"What are you doing Layla?"_** Macquarie's question was answered when Layla cupped Sora face and tilted it upwards to look into her eyes.

"_**This can't be happening, no, I wont let this happen." **_thought Macquarie when it became quite clear what would happen if she didn't interfere.

Macquarie reached for the door and turned the knob so fast she could have broke it, when the door was open she wasted no time in jumping out.

"Mistress?" called out Macquarie, but her words fell on deaf ears, she wasn't standing inside the hallway anymore, she wasn't even standing in the hotel. The passing cars and street signs greeted a very confused maid.

"How……how did I end up here?" said Macquarie as she looked back at the hotel she was just in a second ago…..on the eighteenth floor.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Eighteenth Floor.

With mingled breaths the two woman closed their eyes and leaned in for the inevitable.

They were a hairs length away from meeting each others lips, when the enormity of what was about to happen dawned on Layla. Opening her eyes Layla peered down at the angelic features of Sora who was waiting for a kiss that never came. "Sora" said the blonde softly.

Sora's eyes opened to mere slits. "Layla?" asked a confused Sora.

"Did you know what this would mean Sora? If we do this we can never go back." said Layla wanting Sora to understand as well.

Sora understood what it would mean, of the two woman she had the most to lose. It may just be a kiss to Layla but to her it was her _first_ kiss, something she waited for her entire life, and if it didn't work out she would be hurt the hardest. Even if that weighed heavily, Sora wasn't afraid. She had been longing for Layla for so long and now everything became clear why. Here before her was a woman that captivated her heart. Sora could see more to Layla than anyone else could, and she knew behind Layla's often cold exterior beat a lonely heart thriving for acceptance and love. That's why Sora wasn't afraid to take the next step, because more than anything she wanted to be the person to give Layla that love.

"I understand more than you know Layla. I know what this means and I'd gladly walk this road if you would walk it beside me." said Sora with a smile that spoke volumes.

Those words erased all doubts and insecurities from Layla's mind. "I'll always walk beside you if you'll have me Sora?" in answer to the blondes question, Sora reached up and covered the hand on her cheek with her own and gave it a small squeeze.

This time there were no more lingering doubts. Sora and Layla closed their eyes and moved together as one. The distance closed between them and their lips met each other for the first time. It was timid at first, both woman were getting used to the feeling of the other's lips.

Sora drink in the sensations headily, never had she dreamed it would be this intense. Layla's soft lips glided over hers, it was very light, almost as if the blonde was afraid to be more bold. Sora wouldn't have any that, she pressed harder and took Layla's bottom lip between hers and sucked on it gently.

The move nearly drove Layla crazy, she never dreamed of kissing another woman let alone Sora, but the experience was more erotic than anything she ever felt. It didn't take her long to return Sora's favor as Layla took in the brunette's top lip between her own.

Taking a breath the two women pulled back slightly and opened their eyes. The sight each others lust laden gazes triggered an explosion of fire that erupted inside them. Every little moment of tension that existed since the moment they met at tryouts to the dinner they shared at the pizza parlor surged through them causing all their pent up frustrations to be released in that one moment of bliss. The two immediately moved in with a more fierce kiss. Gone was the soft brushing of lips, now both woman pressed their mouths hard against one another in an attempt to devour the other. Layla moved her hand off of Sora cheek and put it on the back of the brunettes head guiding the other woman against her mouth. Sora didn't remain idle, she reached behind Layla and wrapped her arms around the blonde and pressed their bodies together.

Layla wanted to deepen the kiss to the next level but she was growing dizzy from a combination of having Sora's body pressed against her own and a lack of oxygen. Both woman broke apart gasping for breath. The rising and falling of their chests could be felt by each other.

Still holding one another, Layla broke the salience. "Wow." she said simply.

"I second that with a oh my god." joked Sora than she noticed their breathing were in sync. "We finally synchronized our breathing Layla."

It took a second for Layla to respond, her head was still full of fog. "hmm…your right, we should have just done this to begin with."

They both enjoyed a soft laugh between them. The whole world was gone and it was just the two of them, and for both ladies it just felt so right. When the laugher died down, both woman moved in again to take up where they left off, but the sound of the elevator opening stopped that plan.

Layla was the first to hear the sound and she pulled away from Sora so fast it nearly made the other woman loose her balance.

Sora was somewhat hurt over Layla's adamant withdraw, but she tried to understand that Layla came from a family that frowned on her recent actions. She knew Layla was no where near being ready to show her affection publicly but it still hurt none the less. She saw Layla adopt her stoic pose which could only mean she was nervous.

When Sora turned around to see who interrupted their intimate moment, she came face to face with a very upset looking Macquarie. The maid was panting and trying to catch her breath as if she just came in from running somewhere.

"Mistress?" was all the other woman said.

Sora knew if she stayed she could cause trouble for a Layla who was still trying to get her bearings, so decided to leave.

"I think I'll be going to bed, jetlag and all you know." she turned to the blonde. "Thank you for everything tonight Layla." said Sora as she made a hasty retreat to her room, but just as she swiped the key card in the magnetic lock, Layla's voice called out to her.

"Sora?"

Sora turned slightly to see a very neutral looking Layla, her stance and manner might have appeared neutral but her eyes spoke volumes. "Yes Layla?" Sora answered softly.

Layla wanted to say so much but she couldn't bring herself to open her mouth so she settled for a simple reply. "Good night."

Sora nodded in understanding and entered her room. When the door closed she leaned against it and tried to control her heart beat. Every thing had gone so fast and it was just now catching up to her. Lost in thought, she slid down to the floor and sat there staring at the dark hotel room.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Layla was very quiet, Macquarie saw that her eyes were glazed over.

"_**Was I too late, did something happened?"**_

"Mistress is everything all right?" asked Macquarie but she didn't receive an answer from the blonde. The maid tried a different approach. "You don't looked pleased mistress, I thought you would be happy to see Sora again?"

The mention of Sora name got Layla attention. "What? I am, I've just had a long night Macquarie I'm going to bed." said Layla as she headed for her door.

"Mistress, I'll reheat your dinner if you want something to eat?"

"I already ate." replied Layla in a detached voice.

"Good night Layla." said Macquarie but the former Kaleido star didn't respond, she went into her room and shut the door leaving the maid in a turmoil of thoughts.

"_**What's going on, how did I end up outside, and did I make it back before something happened."**_

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"That was too close." said Passion who was floating next to Fool by a peephole across from where the drama took place. When she didn't get a response from Fool she tried again. "Are you paying attention?….. Fool!"

Fool slowly turned to the shouting woman. "Did you say something?' said Fool lazily. He was grinning like the Cheshire cat and he didn't have his mask on.

It was clear to Passion that Fool enjoyed the show. "Put your mask back on your making a fool of spirits everywhere."

Fool complied. "So this is what being a spirit of romance is like, man did I get into the wrong field." said a very happy spirit of the stage.

"Roll up your tongue, you should be ashamed of yourself at voyeuring a private moment between two woman trying to express themselves." said Passion with her arms folded over her chest.

"Ha, your just mad I hogged the peephole."

"Sharing wouldn't have killed you." puffed the silver haired woman as she turned from Fool and floated down to the floor, where she was soon accompanied by her partner.

"I have to give you credit Passion, your job is much more hands on than mine, they way you handled the maid was brilliant." noted Fool as he gave a gentlemanly bow to Passion.

"Flattery will get you everywhere, but you are right, that was pure genius wasn't it." said Passion, obviously quite pleased with her quick thinking.

The spirits originally arrived at Layla's hotel room to wait for their charges but the maid was there already. Passion had sensed a pivotal moment unfolding between the two woman outside the door. Her feeling was confirmed when the maid gasped out in shock while looking through the peephole. Fool was already sharing Macquarie's view and said _"Where is a camera when you need one." _That made it easy to tell what was going to happen. The maid had other plans as she grasped the door handle with a clear intention to break up the two women. Acting on instinct, Passion unleashed one of her more powerful spells on the door creating a portal outside the hotel.

Fool and Passion then headed to the room across the hallway in order to remain unseen. Passion's efforts were rewarded when Sora an Layla shared their first kiss, a passionate one at that. Her observation of the important moment was cut short when Fool elbowed his way into the peepholes view where he stayed there for the remainder of the, what he called "_show._"

Now that everything had died down, Passion was feeling spent. "This is where we go our separate ways for the time being monsieur, remember your duties as a temporary spirit of romance." joked Passion.

"I don't think I'll be forgetting that anytime soon." It was clear Fool was still reminiscing over the nights events.

It was a long day even for spirits and Passion promptly yawned, something she hadn't done in 600 years. "Wow that spell took a lot out of me, I need to rest."

"You know there is nothing like a warm relaxing shower before you go to bed."

The silver haired woman turned to Fool and gave him the bug eye. "Excuse me?"

Fool realized what he just said. "hehe… whoops, force of habit."

"Good night." said Passion as she faded out.

"Yes it was." returned Fool as he faded out as well.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Sora's room.

Sora looked around her room and couldn't believe the size of the place. It must have been a presidential suite.

"I guess having a father that owns the hotel has its benefits." said Layla to herself.

"It most certainly does." Fool whistled as he scanned the room. "Much more fitting for a woman of your stardom than the apartment back at Cape Mary."

Sora screamed. "Aaaaaaaaaah…. What the hell are you doing here?"

The shock of Sora scream startled Fool as well. "Aaaaaah!" the spirit put his hand to his chest. "Don't do that, it's not flattering."

Getting under control, Sora glared at Fool. "Don't sneak up on people Fool, and how did you get here?" the Japanese girl was curious as to why the spirit was present.

"I stowed away. If I could make a suggestion, buy some more silk panties, they make traveling all the more pleasant." said Fool as he walked over to the gift basket and took a bite out of an apple that was half the size as he was.

"Why you….!" The Kaleido star walked over to the table, grabbed the room service menu, rolled it up, and then glomped Fool on the head.

"Is that anyway to treat a spirit?" questioned Fool as he rubbed his sore cranium. Fool expected more but he saw Sora sit on the couch and stare off into space.

When a thought struck her she turned to Fool. "How come you're here, and shouldn't you be with Rosetta? I bet she is wondering where your at."

Fool sat on the table and continued to enjoy his apple. "Don't worry about it, I took care of everything."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Cape Mary, Rosetta's apartment.

Rosetta returned to her apartment after another grueling night of trapeze practice. May and Her walked through the door still in their sweats.

"Now if you can only catch the bar after the sixth spin it would really be something." suggested May as put down Rosetta's bag, Carrying it back was the least she could do after Rosetta completed another one of her grueling work outs, the girl was so physically small it was a wonder she could do what she did.

"Thank you for the bag, do you want a soda before you go?" said Rosetta looking around the apartment for Fool.

"Sure, I'm in no rush." replied May, she was wondering why Rosetta was looking all over the small room. May noticed a very tiny looking note on the counter. "Is this what your looking for?"

Rosetta walked over to pick it up.

"_**I wonder where Fool is?" **_

The diablo star picked up the note, it was blank on one side and when she turned it over all it had was two words.

**GONE FISHING**

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

Back to Sora's apartment.

"I wrote a detailed note explaining my absence." said the spirit of the stage with a mouth full of apple.

Sora was getting irritated at playing the run around game. "AND WHY ARE YOU HERE?"

"I'm on vacation."

"Spirits go on vacations?" asked a skeptical Sora.

"Of course, we are not machines."

"Why are you taking a vacation with me?"

"Don't flatter yourself Sora, I was already going to Boston, so I decided to tag along." joked Fool.

"To do what?"

"See the sights, find out where all the beans are, maybe even throw some tea off some ships."

"Funny." Sora sighed. "Fine if your staying just behave yourself and don't do anything naughty."

"I could say the same for you." mused Fool as he remember the steamy make out session he witnessed earlier.

Sora blushed and tried to play it off. "I don't know what your talking about."

Fool floated to the counter and grabbed a hand mirror, then he floated to Sora and held it up for her to see.

Sora looked at face in the mirror, besides the blush Fool's comment triggered, there was a fair amount of lipstick that didn't belong to her smeared all over her mouth.

Sora turned ten shades redder and whipped her lips with her sleeve.

"So dear Sora, who's the lucky woman, I say woman unless you have really strange taste in men."

Sora figured there was no use playing dumb, She was fairly certain Fool knew who it was anyway. "It was Layla's lipstick."

Fool acted disappointed. "Oh I see, she was probably trying to put it on you and you squirmed and got it smeared everywhere."

"That's not how I got it on me and you know it."

"Ohhhhh……how did it get on you then?" questioned a smirking Fool.

Sora was fidgeting now. "Probably happened when we kissed."

The spirit acted shocked. "Kiss?…did you say kiss?….Sora how very scandalous of you."

"Shut up Fool." Sora didn't like Fool poking fun of her love life.

"_**Wait, I have a love life?….So does that make me in lo..?"**_

"So what now?" said Fool interrupting Sora thoughts.

Sora was surprised at how serious Fool's tone sounded, but she decided to be open. "I don't really know, this is all new to me and its really scary."

The spirit chose his words carefully, he didn't want to scare Sora off. "It's a big decision if you decide to pursue this. You have to consider your career as well as Layla's."

Sora smiled sadly, she wasn't naïve about what it would mean. There were a lot of problems in her line of work for people who pursued her and Layla's kind of relationship. "I don't want to lose my job over it but I wouldn't want to lose Layla either."

"Knowing the risks would you still do it?"

Sora took a second to think it over. The brunette pressed her fingers to her lips, even now they were still swollen over the kiss that rocked her world. Nothing rivaled the sensation of having Layla in her arms and the feeling of the other woman's lips pressed against hers. Knowing what that felt like made going back to the way things were, impossible. Sora had her answer.

"Yes." Sora said firmly.

Satisfied to see Sora strengthen her resolve, Fool decided to call it a night. "Well then I look forward to her sleepovers."

"Fool!" yelled Sora but as infuriating as the spirit could be, this talked helped her sort out some of her feelings.

"What?" said Fool turning towards the woman.

Sora smiled. "thank you."

That actually shocked him. "I uh…I uh… your welcome." being a spirit of romance definitely had it's perks if it got Sora to thank him.

Sora left to prepare for bed. She didn't even bother tying up Fool, after all the bathroom was built like Fort Knox. When she returned she crawled into bed and turned off the lights. Fool found a nice spot on the vanity desk and they both settled down for the night.

"Fool?"

"Yes?" replied Fool expecting another thank you.

"If you ever stow away in my underwear again, I'm feeding you to Jonathan."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Layla's room.

On the king sized bed Layla was laying on her back and staring at the ceiling, it was a position she had since she walked into her hotel room.

"_**What am I doing? Did that really happen? Was I dreaming?" **_

When Sora wasn't around, her self doubts had free reign over her mind. She was just as inexperienced as Sora was when it came to relationships and she didn't know how to act. Layla would never admit to anyone that she was deeply lonely. The blonde spent the better part of her life keeping people at arms length because there was always a subconscious fear of being hurt if she ever got really close to someone. As a result she spent her nights training to the point of exhaustion with the hopes that it would kill the emptiness long enough for sleep to overtake her. The only feeling that would ever wash away the emptiness was when she performed and she resigned herself to living for those few moments. She never thought those things would change but one day she met Sora and nothing was the same again. For the first time in her life she didn't feel alone, because for reasons she couldn't explain Layla knew deep down in her heart that whatever happened to her the lavender haired woman would be there for her. It was a blessing and a curse. When Sora was around she felt complete, like everything was good in the world and she was free to be whoever she chose to be, but when Sora was gone she felt even more empty knowing what it felt like to be whole.

Tonight's loneliness was unbearable. If Sora's mere presence could make Layla feel whole then having the brunette in her arms made her fell alive. Now that there was plaster and concrete between them, she was left aching over Sora's absence. Many of the new sensations she experienced haunted her. The blonde could still smell Sora's perfume. Curiously she reached up and touched her mouth and could have sworn she could still taste Sora's lips. She looked at her hand and thought she could still feel the brunette's silky skin. If the blonde had tried to convince herself before that her feeling for Sora had nothing to do with attraction, they were certainly gone now.

"Was I always attracted to her or was that something more recent?" Layla's voice cut through the oppressive silence that filled the room.

"If I had to make a guess madam, I would say always, but that's just because I think that woman is adorable." came a French accented voice in the darkest.

Layla quickly sat up and looked around the darkened room. She then reached over and turned on the lights and there, on the vanity where they met, was Passion the spirit of romance filing her nails. "Where did you come from?"

"Your imagination, I'm not really here, because you're asleep somewhere in an insane asylum dreaming about this." joked Passion.

"Funny but I was hoping you were a figment of my imagination." said a peevish looking Layla.

The spirit only smiled. "Oh, so imagining a lot of beautiful woman lately are you?"

Layla didn't dignify that with a response. "Shouldn't you have gone away by now?" asked the blonde instead.

"Have you found your happily ever after?" retorted the spirit. "No I didn't think so."

"If you go away it will be a happy ending."

Passion was astonished at how lippy her current charge could be. "Look do you have to be so bitchy, I'm here to help."

Layla sighed and leaned back in the bed and resumed her ceiling staring contest. "What could you do to help me?"

"For one thing I can listen, nothing helps more than a sympathetic ear."

Layla didn't say anything.

"How about advice on how to woo lavender haired Kaleido stars?"

Still Layla said nothing.

"I could show you how to make another woman orgasm in twenty seconds."

The only response from Layla was well aimed pillow that knocked Passion from off her perch. When the spirit recovered she gave Layla a death glare. "Fine, no to number three but mark my words, someday you'll beg me for that little secret."

"I'll take number one." said Layla finally.

Passion couldn't believe Layla caved in. "Really?"

"If your going to stay you might as well make your self useful."

"Ok I'm all ears, I have centuries of advice."

"Your really that old?" asked the blonde as her eyes looked over at the spirit.

Passion was indignant. "Watch it, I may be old by I'm still a woman."

"How old are you?" asked a curious Layla.

The spirit of romance sighed, it was a miracle that Layla was participating so she decided to go along. "Let just say I'm old enough to have seen the first Hamilton drag his wife off to the cave they would call home."

Layla was impressed.

"So what is it you would like to talk about?" continued Passion.

Layla thought the question over and over in her mind but she finally decided to ask. "Do you think Sora and I could end up living happily ever after?"

Layla was never one to believe in storybook romances but she wanted someone to tell her such a thing existed in life.

"Are you asking me as the spirit of romance or someone who had been around for centuries?"

"Both."

"Then no."

Layla turned and looked fully at the spirit, she expected Passion to humor her.

Passion merely smiled. "There are no happily ever afters. There will good times and bad times, and you'll need to experience the bad times to truly appreciate the good ones. C'est la vie. But I will say this, you and Sora have something special that will make your good times put the most far fetched fairytales to shame."

Layla sat up and stared hard at Passion. "Which is?"

Passion laughed. "That's something you two will discover on you own time."

"_**Arggggg"**_ thought Layla. **_"Stupid spirits and their vague answers."_**

Layla got up and headed for the bathroom and when she returned to the bedroom she was wearing the pair of red pajamas Sora gave her. After she moved out of Sora's apartment she tried to return them but the brunette told her to keep it, when Layla asked why Sora simply said. _"To ward off perverted spirits." _At the time Layla thought it was the craziest thing, but now she wore them with appreciation.

"_**Better safe than sorry." **_

Layla crawled into her bed and switched off the lights. Before she went to sleep she looked to the vanity where Passion made herself comfortable.

"_**I have my own spirit of romance and she doesn't seem so bad, maybe it's a sign that I shouldn't be alone anymore."**_

Layla began to drift off when Passion's voice carried to her. "Would you like to know how to make Sora yours forever."

Layla opened her eyes and looked towards Passion once again. "How?"

Passion got an mischievous glint in her eye. "It only takes 20 seconds."

"Arrrrrrggggg" growled Layla as she turned over and tried to fall asleep. It was kind of hard with the spirit of romance laughing as loudly as she could, that was up until a pillow knocked her off her seat.

To be continued Important note, I'm Asian so I love long, very long drawn out stories, so if you more of a short fic or ONESHOT fan, end it here and look off into the sunset with happy memories. If your still on board then enjoy many updates for the future.


	5. Chapter 5

I'm glad to see people enjoy the story, the reviews were very welcomed. Sorry it took me so long to update, my professors have an exam fetish so I was very busy and after that I would have updated sooner but spring break was family time and they kept me from writing. I'm back to my writing so I hope these updates come in faster. That as they say is that.

Disclaimer: Don't own Kaleido Star or its character..blah blah blah blah.

Note: _**Bold **_are thoughts and _Italics_ are enfaces and flashback.

Chapter 5

"How did everything go last night?" asked Passion sitting on a ledge over looking the busy street below.

"Very good, I have to say I'm having more fun than I can remember." said Fool who was trying to shoo a pigeon from his spot.

"It can't see you so waving your arms around like an idiot is pointless." chuckled Passion.

"I know but I was hopping my annoyance would get through to it." said Fool as he gave up and walked on the other side of Passion.

"That was nice, now the pigeon can annoy me." just then that pigeon found something else of interest and flew off. Passion turned to Fool, "That was real chivalrous of you."

"Get with the times, your liberated, that means you can deal with your own monster pigeons." said Fool who decided to change the subject. "What happened with Layla?"

"She pined over her Asian doll, it was so sweet it nearly brought me to tears."

"You're a horrible liar." returned Fool neutrally.

"Liar?" questioned Passion confused by Fool response.

"I've known Layla for a long time and I know for certain that she is not the type of person to pine over someone." said Fool matter of factly.

"You'll be pleasantly supervised then." Passion laughed lightly then continued. "I bet this is Layla's first _real _crush."

"Oh really, this should be interesting to watch." mused Fool.

"Speaking of girls with crushes, how are you holding things at your end?

It was Fools turn to laugh. "Are you kidding me? I don't have to do anything, Sora's had a thing for Layla since the beginning."

Passion thought that was ridiculous. "Sora had a thing for Layla since she was five?"

"No not five, I was talking about the second time they met at Kaleido tryouts." said Fool clarifying his statement. "How did you know about the first time they met? I didn't feel your presence that day and even they don't remember it."

"I'm the spirit of romance, its my job to know everything about Layla, past and all."

"Pays to know your charges background, I thought Sora was a timid Japanese girl but I found out the hard way just how violent she can be." said Fool remembering the constant physical punishment he suffered at the hands of the Kaleido star.

"Like last night at the restaurant?"

"You had to bring that up again didn't you?" responded Fool still sore after last night's incident. "Never let a gymnast kick you, it hurts more than you can imagine."

"I bet." said Passion then she changed the subject. "What are we going to do for today? Both girls are bound to be in the same room with each other, and our charges will start to think its strange that we always disappear when it happens."

"I think we should just ignore each other."

"Ignore each other?"

"If our ladies can't see each others guiding spirit then we can be in the same room without them growing wise to our conspiracy." reasoned Fool.

"Sounds good but can you keep your eyes off my beautiful self?" joked Passion.

"Somehow I'll manage." answered Fool sarcastically.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

The look on Passion's face was priceless and Fool let out an ear splitting laugh, but that quickly turned into an ear splitting scream as the pigeon returned and began trampling all over Fool. Now it was Passion's turn to laugh her ass off. "Merci monsieur pigeon, merci."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Sora's room 386

When the spirit of the stage returned to the room he heard the shower running. "Why do I always arrive too late?" said fool as he plopped up on a chair and waited for Sora to finish. **_"I wonder what's in store for today?" _**

In the bathroom a towel wrapped Sora stood staring at the mirror wondering the same thing. **_"That was an interesting dream." _**thought the brunette.

During the night her dreams were filled with images of the kiss that her and Layla shared. It was filled with kissing and a whole lot more. It was the first time Sora had such a mischievous dream, and it involved Layla which made her even more flustered. She had just started opening up to possibility of dating the blonde and after they shared their first kiss she was already having naughty dreams. After waking up the only way to reign in her errant thoughts were to take a shower that was more cold than warm.

Looking at her reflection Sora had to put her foot down. "Listen you, this is going too fast, take it slow or you'll ruin everything. And what's with that dream, did you turn into Fool or something?"

Fool's voice called out from the other side of the door. "I heard that!"

"Stop eavesdropping, I'm having a private conversation." Sora yelled back.

"Is there another spirit in there I don't know about, I admit I'm little jealous."

"Oh shut up Fool." turning back to her reflection she gave herself a credulous look. "Why am I talking to myself, am I going crazy?"

"I'd say yes." came Fool's detached voice again.

Sora sighed. **_"Why me?" _**thought the Kaleido star as got dressed and exited the room. Fool was lounging on the chair's arm rest looking very amused.

"So are you having raunchy dreams now, I must say that's very adult of you Sora?" questioned Fool with a stupid smirk.

"Be quiet, I can have any kind of dream I want to, and I'll have you know I'm eighteen now." said Sora who sat back on the bed and relaxed.

"Oh eighteen huh, I guess your old enough to buy a cigarette."

"Why would I want to I don't smoke."

"Then what are you going to after you and Layla have……."

Sora put her hands to ears. "ahhhhhhhhhh, stop that." satisfied that Fool was finished she took her hands off. "Fool that's not even funny, I know your trying to rile me up but that kind of talk is too much."

"Why not, its not like you haven't thought about it." reasoned Fool.

"Actually I haven't. I'm trying to take it slow and get used to everything, but those kind of thoughts are gigantic leaps that I'm not ready to think about yet." explained Sora.

"What about your dream?"

Sora blushed and shook her head. "That didn't count, I was asleep."

"They say dreams are windows into the soul." said Fool slyly.

"Fool…that's the eyes."

"Perhaps your right but that doesn't matter. I was thinking it would help if you described your dream detail by detail, because getting that off your chest will make you feel….." Fool's rambling was cut off by Sora's sudden appearance. The brunette grabbed Fool and shoved him into a dresser. A moment later Fool was beating on the door from the inside. "You can't do this to me, I'm a free spirit, and I was only trying to help."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Layla's room 385

Unlike Sora who was always quick to wake up, Layla was a deep sleeper. Passion was starting to wonder if Layla was going to sleep the day away. She couldn't have that, it was a perfect day outside and she was not going to let her charge waste it in bed. The spirit looked around the room for something to wake up the comatose blonde. Spotting the overhead wall lamp, Passion floated up to it and switched it on and pointed it towards the blonde's eyes. The only affect it had on Layla was causing her to turn towards the windowed side of the room.

"Fine, how about some natural sunlight." Passion flew towards the window and opened the curtain. A blast of sunlight hit the blonde directly in the face, making Layla put her right arm over her eyes, but it didn't wake her up. "I see madam you are immune to the indirect methods."

The spirit floated near Layla's ear and began to say her name softly at first. "Layla, Layla, Laaaayyylaaaa." finished Passion in a sing song voice.

Layla began to stir. "Finally." said Passion thinking she was triumphant.

The blonde only turned back over and let out a moan accompanied by a name. "Soraaaa."

The silver haired woman had enough decency to blush. "That's why you don't want to wake up."

Passion was debating whether or not to interrupt Layla's pleasant dream but the sound of the phone ringing fixed that for her.

Layla shot up in bed, her shoulder lengthed blonde hair was a mess. She turned towards the phone in a daze, for few moments she didn't know where she was. When the girl snapped out of her stupor she reached over and picked up the phone.

"Sora?" said Layla as the first thing that popped out of her mouth.

On the other end was Macquarie. The maid couldn't help but notice that her mistress called out the other girl's name in a smoky voice that sounded like a moan. "N.n.n..no mistress, its me Macquarie, you asked me to wake you up."

Layla came back to reality. "Thank you Macquarie."

"It was no problem mistress, I know how restful you get when you sleep. I'll be over there momentarily." with that the phone call ended.

The blonde closed her eyes and reached over to place the phone in its holder, after a few attempts she finally landed it. Layla opened her eyes again and stared at the ceiling. Normally she couldn't remember her dreams but the one she just had was exceptionally vivid. Her face turned beet red and she grabbed her pillow and covered her face.

"Pleasant thoughts?" came Passion's voice interrupting the blonde's attempt to bury herself in the sheets.

Removing the pillow, Layla looked bleary eyed over at the spirit. "Your still here?" said the blonde sleepily.

"Where else would I be madam." returned the silver haired woman who was sitting cross legged on the vanities counter.

Layla sighed and got out of bed. She walked to the center of the room and began to do stretches.

"What are you doing?"

The blonde looked over at Passion. "Exercising."

"This early, you just woke up."

Layla shrugged and went back to her workout. "It helps me wake up."

"I'm more of tea and croissant woman myself."

The workout went uninterrupted for thirty minutes until there was a knock at the door. Layla walked up to the door and stopped. Normally she would just open the door to see who it was, but thinking it could be Sora made her become self aware. Her hair was a mess and she was sweaty from her workout, it wasn't the image she wanted to show the brunette this late in the morning. "Who is it?"

"Its Macquarie." answered the voice from the other side of the door.

Layla sighed in relief and opened the door. Macquarie was standing there with a covered tray. "Morning please come in."

After closing the door the two woman walked back into the apartment. "I brought your breakfast mistress, I hope you don't mind?"

"Of course not." replied Layla. The blonde saw it was her favorite and smiled. "Thank you Macquarie, what would I do without you."

That simple comment made Macquarie's day. "It was really no problem." It was then the maid noticed Layla's hair. "Did you have restless night mistress?"

Layla blushed **_"How could she know about my dream?" _**

"Why would you say that Macquarie?" asked Layla probingly.

Macquarie was embarrassed to point it out. "Your hair is….well it's mess so you were probably tossing in your sleep."

The blonde sighed. "Oh… you could say that."

"I hope it wasn't that bad?" inquired the maid.

"_**Quite the opposite." **_thought Layla. "It was fine."

"Shall you eat then?"

"Actually I'm going to take a shower right now, I'll eat later." with that said the blonde walked towards the bedroom. **_"It will probably be a cold one."_**

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Room 386

"So what are you doing today?" asked Fool who was watching Sora balance on one hand upside down on the chair.

"I don't know, I didn't plan anything out." returned Sora who was growing dizzy from all the blood rushing to her head. She returned up right in the chair and hugged her knees to her chest. "I hoping on spending the day with Layla."

"Why don't you call Layla and ask her out?"

"I don't want to interrupt her, she going into surgery the day after tomorrow and I'm sure she is busy." reasoned Sora.

"She called you all the way here, you should at least hangout with one another." said Fool as he floated to the fruit basket and commandeered a grape the size of his head.

"Why are you being so pushy? Layla would tell me if she wanted to spend time with me.?"

Fool rolled his eyes. "I guess we see who's going to wear the pants in that relationship."

Sora turned to look at Fool. "Excuse me?"

"I was kidding" said Fool trying to placate Sora. He didn't want a repeat of his earlier imprisonment. "My point is you should be more assertive, you like her right?"

"Of course I do." said Sora like it was the easiest question in the world.

The spirit knew it was time to make his point. "Then ask her out, demand some of her time. If you don't show yourself more respect now, then she isn't going to respect you either."

Sora thought about that for a minute, if there was any future for her and Layla it had to be built on mutual respect. Layla didn't need another admirer, she needed a partner. "Maybe your right."

"I'm glad you agree for once." Fool was satisfied she acknowledged his sound advice. "Maybe you should start calling me sensei too."

"Don't push it."

"So?" said Fool as he sensed he went to far.

"So what?" returned Sora who was confused.

"Are you going to ask her out?" asked Fool.

Sora thought it over for a moment while she gathered her resolve. When she was ready she held her clenched fist in front of her. "Yes!" called out Sora but then she remembered something she forgot to do. "But after I make a phone call."

Fool sighed, he knew the brunette had a tendency to keep putting things off. "Who are you calling?"

"My friend Manami. She goes to school here and the least I can do is say hi, maybe plan to meet up later this week." answered Sora as she walked over to the phone. She went all the way to Boston and this was the first time she thought of her friend. **_"I can't believe I didn't remember that Manami went to school here."_**

"Don't weasel your way out by making other plans, you said you were asking out Layla." said Fool as Sora dialed the numbers.

Sora looked over at Fool. "I am, it just makes the butterflies in my stomach flutter around mach ten. I hope she doesn't say no" Sora would have continued but the sound of someone picking up the phone cut her off.

"Hello, is this Manami's room?" asked the brunette into the receiver.

"Who's this?" came a woman's reply that didn't sound like her Japanese friend.

"My name is Sora, I'm Manami's friend from Japan."

"Oh your Sora. My names Cheryl, I'm Manami's roommate. Are you girls having a good time?" returned a cheerful girls voice on the other end.

"Good time?" asked a puzzled Sora.

It was Cheryl's turn to be confused. "Ya, Manami flew all the way to Cape Mary, I thought you guys would be having a blast catching up on old times."

This was news to Sora. "Cape Mary…..When did she go to Cape Mary?"

"Yesterday, didn't she visit you yet?" returned the other girl, she worried something happened to her friend.

Sora groaned. **_"Of all the luck, she visits me and I'm not there." _**

"No, I'm in Boston right now." answered the Kaleido star sheepishly.

"Ouch." said Manami's roommate who broke out in laughter. "That's pretty funny."

"I hope she's not mad at me."

Cheryl's laughter died down some. "I'm sure it'll be alright once you call her and explain."

"I can't, her cell is broken." said an exasperated Sora.

"Then she'll call you?"

"I never got one." said Sora as Manami's roommate broke out in a new round of giggles.

Sora frowned. "It's not that funny."

"Oh the irony but forget about that, if she calls here I'll give her your room number."

"Ok." said Sora as she told Cheryl her room information.

"Good bye, nice talking to you." said the other girl before she hung up

"Arigato." returned Sora as she disconnected.

"What happened?" asked Fool after Sora turned around.

Sora sat down on the sofa and blew her hair out of her eyes. "**_It getting kind of long, I could use one of your haircuts right now Manami." _**

"Manami went to Cape Mary to visit me the same time I left." said Sora finally answering the spirit's question. Fool looked at her for a moment before he started laughing "Not you too." said the brunette with a sigh.

Fool put his hands in the air to stop another one of Sora outbursts. "Don't worry, I'll see if I can read her fortune." with that Fool produced a ring of tarot cards where he chose one and flipped it over to see with his one visible eye. "I see the inverted sun, hmm… her future was paved in a darkness she couldn't see and this accidental trip will help her discover her dream."

Sora was surprised at Manami's fortune. "Does that mean everything will work out?"

Fool merely shrugged. "Its not for me to say."

"I hate it when you do that."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Cape Mary Noon.

Ken made the rounds like he always did. There was so much more to Kaleido stage than people thought. When Ken wasn't assisting performers during the show days, he made sure the carpenters had their raw materials for the elaborate stages, performers had all of their costumes and cosmetics ready for the show, and generally he made sure everything went smoothly. Today was no different, just because all of the performers had some time off didn't mean he could join them. If anything the off days were his busiest.

"Yes Mr. Towner, I need to reorder the plywood shipment, what we got was only half of what we need." said Ken talking to one of Kaleido stage's suppliers. "OK….I understand….Yes, ok take care." finished the blonde as he hung up.

"Excuse me?" at the sound of a woman's voice, Ken turned towards the supply room entrance. Standing there was a Japanese girl he thought seemed familiar.

"Can I help you?" questioned Ken to the girl that shouldn't be in the inventory area.

"You don't recognize me do you?"

Finally it dawned o him. "Your Sora's friend from Japan right? The one that goes to college in Boston?"

"Yes, my name is Manami." said the Japanese girl as she scanned the massive stockpile of raw materials. She became distracted as to why she went down here in the first place. "Wow…there is a lot stuff here."

"Ya, every time there is a new production you wouldn't believe how much work goes into them, John, the head carpenter, doesn't get enough credit for the amazing stage's they produce." said Ken happily but then he remembered the oddity of the girls presence back here. "Is there something I can help you with?"

Snapping out of her explorations Manami answered. "Sorry I got distracted, the guys in the front told me you knew where Sora was."

"You kind of missed her, she went to Boston yesterday."

Manami looked surprised at this. "Are you telling me I came all the way from Boston and that's where she went. Of all the luck…" Manami sighed. "Did she go there to visit me?"

"Actually she went there to help Layla with something." answered Ken.

"Layla? That blonde she has a crush on?" mumbled Manami to herself.

"Ya." Ken had to do a double take. **_"What did she just say?" _**Ken cleared his throat. "Excuse me what was that?"

Realizing that she said that out loud, Manami tried to backtrack. "I said she went to the blonde she rushed that act with."

Ken let a sigh of relief out. **_"Good my ears were playing tricks on me."_**

"Do you know when she will be back?" questioned the brunette trying to change the subject.

"Two weeks at the most I think, we have to do one more run of The phoenix before we switch productions."

"Two weeks." Manami sighed and sat down of one of the crates. "I can't believe I took a vacation all the way here to surprise her and she's gone." said the brunette woman as she began swinging her legs back and forth. "I prepaid a hotel and everything."

Ken sympathized with her, he wasn't that happy about Sora's impromptu trip either. "I thought she would be around too but since you're here what are you going to do now?"

"What do I do now?" mused Manami. "I don't know….my flight doesn't leave till the twenty first, and I don't want to waste my deposit." Manami stopped her leg's movements and let out a sigh. "You wouldn't happened to know anything fun to do around here?"

Ken had to laugh at that. "Your standing in one of the countries greatest entertainment venues and you ask is there anything fun to do."

"_**I think this is a good chance to get to know one of Sora's Japanese friends."**_

"You know Manami I'm about all done here, would you like to have a cup of coffee with me? There's a really nice café right outside of Kaleido stage."

Manami got off the crate and turned towards the blonde. "**_This might be a good chance to get to know one of Sora's new American friends."_**

"Make it a tea and your on."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Room 385

"_**The mistress seemed flushed. I wonder if she had another one of her nightmares." **_thought Macquarie as she prepared Layla's breakfast. Her actions were interrupted by the phone's ringing.

Macquarie walked over and picked it up. "Hello?"

"Macquarie?" came Sora's voice from the other line. "I didn't know you were over there this early."

Macquarie hoped knowing that would upset Sora a little. "Yes I'm here every morning to wake up mistress Layla."

"Is Layla there?" came Sora's nervous reply.

The maid was glad Layla was still taking a shower. "She's busy right now, could you call back later?"

Just as Macquarie finished saying that, Layla came out of the bathroom drying her golden hair. "Who is it?"

Macquarie could have cursed. "Oh mistress your finished." the maid put her hand over the phone. "Sora's on the phone, would you like to speak to her?" asked Macquarie as she secretly hoped the blonde would say no.

"Of course!" said Layla as she grabbed the phone from Macquarie. "Hello?"

"Good morning Layla. I'm not bothering you am I?" came Sora's voice from the other line.

Layla gave an involuntary slight smile when she heard the other woman's voice, it wasn't missed by Passion's nor Macquarie's intent gaze. "No, I've actually been wanting to talk to you since last night."

The brunette took a deep breath. "Then we should go out today, I think it would be fun." said Sora very quickly over the phone. Layla couldn't hear Fool shouting at Sora to be more assertive.

"Sora I…"

The Kaleido star didn't let Layla finish her answer. "I wont take no for an answer!" yelled Sora who had Fool tell her she was too assertive.

Layla was stunned by a demanding Sora but she found herself smiling anyway. "Ok sure, I was going to say I'd love too."

"Oh really, that's wonderful." returned Sora with nervous laughter.

"When do you want to go out?" asked Layla curious as to what Sora had planned.

It took the Kaleido star a few seconds to respond "….how about later this afternoon."

"I'll look forward to it."

Fool was bugging Sora about Layla's response so she decided to end the conversation. "It's a date Layla, bye." said the brunette as she hung up.

It took the blonde a few seconds to hang up.**_ "Did she just say date?" _**Layla mused it over in her head for awhile before she decided she liked the idea of going out on a date.**_ "Well I guess I'm going on a date then."_**

"What did Miss Naegino want?" asked Macquarie who was unable to take the suspense anymore.

"She asked me out on a da….." Layla began to say but changed her mind when she realized how it would sound, she wasn't ready for that yet. "She wanted to catch up and see the town."

"_**That sounds like a date." **_thought the maid. "And your going?"

"Yes." said Layla as if it was the most obvious thing in the universe.

Macquarie couldn't believe what she was hearing. "But mistress this afternoon your meeting with the Paradise hotel's owner on behalf of your father."

Lately her relationship with her father was getting worse, and the blonde was tired of trying to do everything to make him happy when it failed to make anything better. "It's not important, my father can sign his own contracts."

"Mistress?"

Layla sighed and looked at the maid. "Look Macquarie, I always do what my father says without question, but just this once I'm going to do what I want to do."

"So you think gallivanting about town is more important than doing something your father entrusted you with?" argued Macquarie, she normally wouldn't take this tone of voice with her mistress but the woman was being unreasonable from her point of view.

"Yes I do." said the blonde as she walked off, effectively ending the discussion.

"Very well mistress."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Nice café outside of Kaleido Stage, Cape Mary.

"How long have you been at Kaleido stage?" asked Manami as she took a sip of her tea. It wasn't the quality she was used too but the interesting company made up for that.

"I've been at Kaleido stage for four years. I first joined as a performer but after an injury my job changed from performer to coordinator." answered Ken while he took a sip of his coffee.

"You were a performer? What kind of act did you perform?" Manami was surprised to hear about Ken's athletic career, he didn't seem like the most physically suited for Kaleido stage.

The blonde knew that look on her face, it was the same look he saw on everyone's face when he told them about his performing days. "Actually I was a trapeze artist."

"Your kidding?"

"Nope." said Ken as he laughed lightly.

"You did trapeze just like Sora, I have to say I'm a little surprised." Manami just couldn't picture Ken doing the dangerous routines. "What kind of accident did you have?" asked the brunette before she realized just how insensitive that sounded. "Unless you don't want to?"

"No its ok." Ken took a minute before he began retelling the past.

Three years ago

The Kaleido stage was filled with the constant cheers of adoring fans. The current production of Pirates of the Caribbean was a smashing success. The acrobatic stunts used by the trampoliners were a sight to behold. One performer dressed in a pseudo British uniform crossed swords in mid air with a pseudo pirate causing a clash of metal that sung out into the crowd. The cheers of the crowd were deafening, especially the children who were so loud the parents had to spend time calming them down between acts. Despite the entertainment, the people were waiting patiently for the highlight of the show. The high rise scene was going to be played by a promising new star making his début, and according to the hype it was going to be a sight to see.

Behind the raising platform Ken stood anxiously waiting for his moment in the spotlight. The wait made him nervous and scared at the same time, and he couldn't help but check his racing heart beat.

This action was noticed by another watching him from behind. "Don't do it." called out the man's voice.

Ken turned around and saw Fool floating in the middle of the room. "I have to, its something I need to do." said Ken who wasn't surprised by the sight of the floating spirit.

Fool hadn't known Ken for very long but he came to like the guy. He had an amazing spirit even at a time like this. A week ago he started having episodes of chest pains, and shortness of breaths, the attacks were especially bad after long hours of practice. When he went to the doctor he found out he had a faulty valve in his heart. The news hit him hard because he was only a week away from staring in his first performance. It turned out the heavy physical exercise was pushing his heart beyond its capacity and ran the risk of getting a serious attack that might be fatal. The doctor told him an immediate surgery could repair the heart and he would go about life as normal but if he continued putting strain on the organ it could lead to irreversible damage. Which meant his début was out of the question. Ken knew he shouldn't go on but the stage called out to him and he refused to quit.

That was a week ago and Ken went on despite his doctor's warnings. This was his big chance to be a star and he was damned if he was going to waste it.

"My fortune foretells a great tragedy will befall you if you get on the stage tonight." said Fool warning Ken one last time.

"I can see you Fool which means I'm destined to be a star right? Even after my heart problem, which could only mean that everything will work out." reasoned Ken.

Fool realized he wouldn't get through to him. Ken had the same look in his eyes that other performers got after they learned of the legendary maneuver. There was no talking him out of it and it wasn't Fool's place to interfere. "So be it."

Just then a stage hand walked out and gave Ken the thumbs up. "It's time."

Ken began walking up to the platform. "**_This is my time… this is the moment I was destined for."_**

Each step up the ladder brought a pang of excitement, but the problem was it also brought a small prick of pain in his chest. His heart beat was racing achingly fast but he didn't care, the crowd's cheers were like a drug and he wanted more. The light was turned off closer to the top and people didn't see him preparing his stunt. It was a simple back flip and double spin before reaching the other side and he knew he could do it in his sleep. As he stood on the top platform the lights finally flashed towards him and it was time to do his performance. The stage was so high up, and as he reached for his bar he was overcome with vertigo. He nearly stumbled off the platform but he caught himself. He hoped no one noticed. His breathing became a little harder and the prick of pain became a surge. He tried to curve his breathing before he plunged into the air far above the stage but it was becoming an impossible task. It was then Ken had second thoughts about this whole thing. He might have stopped then but the trampoline act ended cuing him to jump.

"Its now or never." called out Ken as he stepped forward and leaped into the air swinging across the distance. This was his moment, and he reveled in it. The incoming bar was so close now and he made the plunge. His flip and spin came off perfectly and the crowd cheered. Ken flew in the air and righted himself to catch the incoming bar but that's when things turned disastrous. The sound of crowd faded as he reached out for the bar, the sound of his heart was all he heard. The hard rhythmic thump thump turned into a thump…thump thump…. thump, and then the whole world around him faded into black.

Two days later Ken awoke in a hospital staring at his parents who were worried sick. That was the day he found out his life changed forever. The strain of that nights performance caused a major heart attack. The surgery that saved his life was performed by a new heart surgeon named Kate Benning who performed the operation even after several hospital surgeons said there was nothing that could be done. It was that red headed doctor that gave Ken the horrible news that he would never be able to perform again. If he went under the knife before the heart attack there was a chance the valve in his chest could be a hundred percent repaired, but after the attack it damaged more than the valve but the heart itself. He could go about a normal life but if he stressed out to much it could cause another attack that might be fatal. From that day on Ken lost all hope of standing on the stage. As his hope began to fade so did his ability to see Fool until the day came when he couldn't see the spirit ever again.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Present day

Manami was shocked to hear his story. The man went through so much yet he was sitting before her obviously happy with himself and his life. After the shock wore off Manami continued her questioning. "How did you end up staying at Kaleido stage?"

Ken smiled. "I gave up on one dream only to find another." Ken leaned back in his chair. "When I went to Kalos to resign he refused to take it. He said just because I couldn't perform didn't mean I should give up on Kaleido stage. I guess he knew deep down that I loved the place and wasn't ready to leave it just yet so he gave me a job of taking care of small things around the stage, kind of like his assistant. It was then I learned how fulfilling life could be making sure the show went smoothly. The cheers of the audience were the most important thing about Kaleido stage and it took my accident to make me finally realize that."

Manami didn't know what to say. There was more to the boy then she realized. She had always thought of him as some ordinary boy that was crushing over Sora, and now she realized he was a person that almost had his world crushed. "Even after that you were able to become a vital part of Kaleido stage."

"Vital part of Kaleido stage?" questioned Ken somewhat embarrassed by the praise. "I just help out the performers is all, I like to think I do my part but I wouldn't say what I did was vital."

"According to Sora she would have never made it without you being there at every step making sure she got up after she fell."

"Sora said that?" mused Ken before he shook his head and smiled. "That's Sora for you, she keeps overlooking her own part in things. She was the one who always pulled herself up after every fall, and I was just happy to be there to see it."

Manami knew Ken was too modest to admit his own importance so she decided to leave it for now. "This chat was too heavy, I didn't want you to hangout and have to relive painful memories." Manami got out of her seat and went to pay for the drinks.

Ken was taken off guard by the change of mood and quickly followed her. "Hey! Where are you going?"

Manami turned around and shrugged. "Lets go do something fun, you're the native so show me around." said Manami giving Ken an impish half smile.

"o..oo..OK." stuttered Ken in response. The blonde was flustered at the sight of Manami's mischievous grin.

"_**What is it with me and Japanese girls?" **_reflected Ken as he followed the brunette out of the café.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Boston. Hamilton Hotel, room 386

"Your hopeless you know that?" said Fool staring at Sora who was standing by the mirror switching two outfits in her hand back and forth over herself. "For the love of fate please choose one."

Sora turned to Fool. "You're a guy, which one looks better on me?" said the lilac haired brunette.

Fool was almost out of his infinite patience. "The blue one, and in case you forgot, Layla's a woman, so I don't think a man's taste counts."

The brunette held the blue one over herself in the mirror. "I don't think I like the blue one."

"aaaaaahhhhh… fine then, pick the red one." said a mentally exhausted Fool.

Sora held up the red one up in the mirror. "That settles it then."

"Good." Fool was relieved this torturous endeavor was over.

"I'll don't like either of them." said Sora throwing the outfits on the bed and walking towards her suitcase.

Fool fell over on the bed and stared at the ceiling. **_"I'll give anything to switch woman with you Passion."_**

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Hotel room 385

"_**I'll give anything to switch woman with you Fool." **_thought an irritated spirit of romance.

Passion was sitting on the vanity counter filing her nails at a speed that could cut titanium. She was giving Layla a look that burned with impatience. The blonde was currently staring at her vast array of expensive jewelry for the last ten minutes.

Passion looked at the wall clock. **_"Not quite ten minutes yet. 12:39.5.…12:39.6.…12:39.7...12.39.8...12.39.9...Now!" _**

Layla finally reached over and picked up a thin golden cross her mother gave her and put it around her neck.

Ten minutes. That was the magic amount of time. For the last half hour Passion watched Layla go over each article of wardrobe the same way. The blonde would just sit and stare at each piece she would choose for _ten minutes, _exactly ten minutes before picking out something. Layla wasn't even aware she was doing it but it was driving Passion nuts.

Passion wasn't the only one going crazy. Macquarie was standing quietly by the bureau stewing. **_"This morning is turning out to be a disaster." _**

Watching her mistress pick out clothes was as irritating for her as it was for Passion but not for the same reasons. Normally on important luncheons or meetings that Layla would often go to, Macquarie would be the one to lay out a nice outfit for Layla to wear but this morning was different. Even after finding out that her mistress was going on an obvious date with the oriental girl, she offered to find something nice for Layla to wear but the blonde refused and said she wanted to pick the clothes out herself. It was like a slap to Macquarie face, one of the things she enjoyed doing was taken away, and for what? Because her mistress wanted to impress Sora? These questions burned inside of her. Macquarie didn't catch what transpired last night, but it didn't take a whole lot of brain power to figure out that the shift in her mistress and Sora's friendship moved into the realm of budding romance. It pained Macquarie to see her mistress crushing over the Kaleido star and having Layla spend so much effort on Sora's behalf was rubbing salt in her wound.

"_**I have to find a way to put a stop to this or I'll loose her forever." **_

Layla could almost sense the hostility coming off of Macquarie. **_"Maybe its best for Macquarie to take some time off, it's not fare how I treat her, she deserves some relaxation too." _**

Layla stopped getting dressed and turned to the maid. "Macquarie?"

"Yes Mistress?"

"I don't need you right now, how about you enjoy yourself in town, my treat."

"W..What? I don't need any time off, I'm quite happy to be here." said a shocked Macquarie. **_"This isn't good, if I'm not around I can't watch them and make sure nothing happens."_**

Layla wouldn't book any arguments. "I want you to take some personal time off for awhile, I appreciate your help but it would make me happy to see you enjoy yourself while we're here."

"But…"

"No buts, I insist." said Layla with finality.

Macquarie sighed and gave in. "As you wish mistress." with that said the maid walked out of the room but before she opened the door Layla stopped her.

"Macquarie…have fun."

"Yes Layla." said Macquarie as she walked out the door. **_"I'll find a way, I wont let you have her Sora."_**

A satisfied Layla went back to finishing up her wardrobe selection while Passion watched the whole thing with saddened eyes. **_"Poor thing, I know its not fare but fate is against you, and I hope you realize that before you end up hurting the person you care for." _**

The spirit turned back to Layla who was now staring at a vast array of shoes. " Oh for the love of fate, If I had the power to create flames I would light a fire under your ass."

Layla turned and gave Passion a contemptuous glare. "Wasn't it your purpose to get me dating and now your bugging me because I want everything to be perfect?"

"No, I'm bugging you because your anal." returned Passion.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Room 386

"How do I look?" said Sora as she came out of the bathroom.

Fool turned to Sora and let out a yelp. "Oh my!"

"Is it too much?" asked an embarrassed Sora.

Fool didn't answer right away, he was too busy staring at Sora low cut blouse. "I must say Sora its very becoming."

"Huh." said Sora as she followed Fool line of sight. "ahhhh, stop that, I knew it was too much, I'll be back."

Sora turned to go back when a very animated Fool blocked the doorway. "Don't!…. Its fine, in fact my fortune says this outfit will bring you good luck."

"Fortune? I didn't see you read a fortune." mused a skeptical Sora.

"It was an express fortune, but that not important. You said you wanted to look nice well I think this qualifies." Fool eyes headed down again. "I don't believe I've ever seen you show cleavage, and I think its quite ni….."

Fool didn't get to finish his rambling as Sora grabbed him and slung him across the room. Sora didn't waste any time grabbing a white over shirt. After to putting it on she turned to Fool who just crawled on top of the bed. "That's better, I don't think Layla is the type to appreciate cleavage as much as you Fool."

Fool didn't say anything, he was too busy smiling. Sora didn't notice that the over shirt buttoned right at the point below the cleavage line and made not looking at her breasts harder than it was before.

"Who knows Sora, maybe Layla is the type." said Fool now watching the brunette put on lipstick, another rarity for Sora.

"I doubt it Fool, she has always been interested in men, and I don't think she is comfortable exploring what being with another woman means."

"How do you know Sora, maybe your not the first woman she been attact…"

"Are you trying to make me angry Fool?" interrupted Sora as she looked at herself one final time in the mirror.

Fool just snickered. "My point is you're a very beautiful woman Sora and you shouldn't ignore the effect you might have on Layla."

"I'd take that as a compliment if you weren't such a perv." said Sora as she put on her shoes. "You could wish me luck for today."

"Good luck." said Fool but Sora had already walked into the other room. "She might be the rudest person I ever met." with that said, Fool followed the brunette.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Room 385

Layla was heading to the door when Passion voice stopped her. "That's what your wearing?"

Layla turned around puzzled. "Yes, what's wrong with this?" The blonde looked down at her clothes, she was wearing a nice teal dress with expensive shoes and a modest amount of makeup.

"You look splendid, If your going to church." said a disapproving spirit of romance. "Why not wear something a little more…..sultry."

Suggested Passion.

"So what your saying is I should dress more slutty." responded Layla, clearly thinking Passion's suggestion absurd.

"Slutty is such a harsh term, I was just thinking you should show off a little more of your feminine charms."

"I don't think Sora is all that interested in my feminine charms."

"That kiss last night told me otherwise madam." said Passion who floated down on the bed and crossed her legs.

Layla looked peeved. "You told me you knew about the kiss, you didn't say you watched us."

"That's not the point, the point is Sora is interested in you, and from what I gathered you are interested in her."

"Yes." responded Layla not seeing Passion's point.

"Let me ask then, last night when you kissed Sora, how did it make you feel."

Layla was considering to ignore the question but she decided to answer honestly. "Warm…no on fire."

"That's all?" questioned Passion.

Layla shook her head. "It also made me feel desired and wanted."

"Exactly." said a triumphant Passion. "It made you feel wanted and desired, those weren't your feelings, those were Sora's."

Layla took a second to consider that. "So your saying that Sora's physically attracted to me."

"I'd say it was obvious."

Knowing that Sora may be looking at her like that made Layla nervous.

Passion sensed Layla's feelings and decided to try some levity to make her feel better. "I know this is all new and scary for you but you need to have faith in your feelings or its going to be tough to woo her."

"Woo?"

"Yes as in the process of wooing, as in making someone fall in love with you." explained Passion. "Don't think just because you and Sora have sparks you can easily start a fire. You have to fan the flames of desire to make her yours."

Layla cheek darkened a little. "What do you mean by making her mine?" said Layla in a near whisper."

Passion started laughing. "Don't tell me you don't know what I'm talking about." the spirit waited for her laughing to stop before she continued. "In plain terms I meant, making love, sex, intercourse, woohoo, horizontal mambo, scre….."

"I get it." interrupted a shocked Layla. "I just started to like Sora more than a friend and in no way am I even thinking about that yet."

The spirit started laughing again. "Maybe you weren't before but now you will, funny thing about mentioning something someone didn't consider, after that its all they can think about."

"It may disappoint a perverted elf like yourself but I have more control over my thoughts than you think." said Layla as she turned and walked out of the room, but she forgot her purse and walked back in. Passion was still talking but she ignored her.

"I'll have you know that I'm a spirit not an elf, elves don't exist." fumed a now unlaughing Passion. "Are you listening to me?" said the spirit after she didn't get a response. "Madam you are rudest person I've ever known." huffed Passion.

The blonde, having finally found her purse, walked back out of the room when her thoughts began to wander. "**_If me and Sora begin dating then I guess its logical that someday we might…..oh no…….. dam you Passion." _**

Instead of heading to Sora's room, the blushing Layla walked back into her room where she grabbed a pillow and threw it at Passion. The spirit saw it coming and floated out of the way.

"Why that is some blush you have madam, you wouldn't happened to have had naughty thoughts now would you." jested Passion as she broke out in a whole new round of giggles.

"I wonder if I should go over and get her?" mused Sora but her decision was cut off at the sound of someone knocking at the door.

"That's her." said the brunette as she did a quick check in the mirror. When she came out she eyed Fool. "You behave yourself, if Layla found out you were here it would make her feel bad she couldn't see you anymore."

"I'll behave." answered Fool in way that meant he was going to do the opposite.

Sora was about to say something more but when another knock came from the door she decided it was time to make her appearance.

When the Kaleido star opened the door she was greeted with the sight of a nervous but very beautiful looking Layla. She was so attractive Sora forgot to greet the blonde.

The blonde stood there looking at Sora who was frozen in place just staring at her. Layla would have broken the silence but her gaze wandered down below Sora neckline and her blood pressure began to rise. Sora was wearing a white blouse over a very low cut shirt and it took Layla a second to realize this was the same Sora she always knew. This must have been the first time she saw the Japanese girl wear something this revealing which said a lot after all the outfits they had to wear at the Kaleido stage.

Passion and Fool were floating between the two woman very amused. Fool cursed himself for not having a camera. It wasn't everyday a dressed up Sora was drooling over Layla while the blonde was staring at her breasts. Passion may have liked the stare fest to continue but she didn't want to have the two girls get embarrassed when they realized what they were doing. She floated up to Layla ear. "It not polite to stare madam, perhaps a greeting would be more appropriate."

That snapped Layla out of her trance. She forced herself to look Sora in the eyes. "Good afternoon Sora." she said simply.

Coming to her senses Sora answered the blonde. "Good afternoon Layla, are you ready to go out?"

Layla nodded and stepped back to allow Sora's exit. The brunette shut her door and the two walked towards the elevator. The spirits were about to follow when Macquarie's door opened. The woman that left the maids room had black hair and nice dress on, she didn't appear to be in a hurry but she did keep pace with Layla and Sora. Fool and Passion looked at one another. "This is getting interesting." said the spirits at the same time.

To be continued. More to come soon, sorry again for the long wait.


	6. Chapter 6

Sorry it took me so long to update. Lately I've been practicing different writing styles so I haven't grinded out a lot of material but alas the update has arrived. It's long, which is a problem for me because proof reading takes as long to do as the writing. Oh well enough with my bitching and on with the show. That as they say is that.

Disclaimer: Don't own Kaleido Star or its character..blah blah blah blah.

Note: **_Bold _**are thoughtsand _Italics _are enfaces and flashback.

Chapter 6

Layla and Sora walked from the hotel at a leisurely pace. The stroll was comfortable and both girls relished in the sunlight of the new day.

"What did you have planed for today Sora?" asked Layla curiously.

Sora stopped walking when she realized she didn't have a plan for today. Her first priority of the day was going out with Layla and she hadn't mentally progressed beyond that point. "Actually to be honest Layla I didn't really plan anything. I was so anxious to see you that I forgot what I would do when I did."

Layla looked at the downcast brunette. The blonde sympathized with Sora, she too wanted to see the other woman so badly that she didn't care where they were going. "It doesn't really matter Sora, I just wanted to talk about last night anyway." said the blonde in a soft voice that was very un-Layla like.

Sora turned towards the blonde and saw a warm expression on Layla's face. It wasn't an expression she was used to seeing on the woman who was always all business but it instantly made her feel at ease. Sora could see that Layla really didn't care where they were going as long as they were together. "Well then Layla, I'll think of something." the brunette said cheerfully.

Seeing Sora's nervousness fade made Layla more at ease as well. "I'm sure you will."

A light bulb just flashed in Sora head. " I have an idea."

"What?"

"We both take turns picking out something to do, that way even though one of us picks out something that the other may not like at least something we do today will be something the other will enjoy." explained Sora.

The blonde thought it over. "Sound like a good plan, so what do we do first?"

"I go first?" asked a wide eyed Sora. "I was kind of hoping you would go first so I could think of something."

Layla shook her head and smiled. "Nope, you asked me out so you choose first."

Sora enjoyed seeing this new cheerful Layla and she decided to just sit back and have fun today. "Fine, since I'm first I think we should go get some lunch."

Layla thought it sounded like a good idea. "Where to?"

Almost by summons a strong gust of wind passed through the street kicking up a pamphlet that wrapped around Sora face. When she pulled it off and stared at it she couldn't believe her eyes. There in front of her was an advertisement for a new café on the street they were coming up to. "hmm… how about here?" asked the brunette pointing to the pamphlet.

"Sounds good." Layla motioned for Sora to lead on. As the two girls headed to the café, Layla couldn't help but think that the gust of wind was too convenient. **_"I bet that was your doing Passion." _**thought Layla as she did a quick scan over the area hoping to spot the silver haired spirit.

At the same time Sora was thinking the same thing about Fool. **_"If that was your doing Fool, thank you but don't mess this up."_**

_**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**_

"Neat trick." said Fool who was floating with Passion far above the two women's heads.

"Thank you monsieur, but I think Layla is on to me."

"I warned you she was crafty."

"True, but she will thank me when the day is done." mused Passion.

Fool didn't like her tone of voice. "You have something up your sleeve don't you?"

"Why yes, I am a resourceful spirit after all."

"Do I have to remind you that its not our place to interfere." said a scowling spirit of the stage.

"Tsk Tsk…I wont interfere but I will help out." Passion was grinning from ear to ear. "Besides this is what I live for."

"_**Fate help them." **_thought Fool, almost feeling sorry for the two girls. "Just don't make me play another persistent suitor, I'm still feeling Sora's field goal attempt on my privates."

**In the Café **

Sora and Layla found a nice table by the window where they could enjoy the view and eat comfortably. They didn't wait long before a waiter took their orders. Sora was the first to speak up. "I'll take a latte with extra whipped cream please."

"Very good, and for you?" the waiter said as he turned towards Layla.

"The same." Layla smiled at Sora. "It sounded good."

The waiter left the girls to their much needed privacy. Satisfied they were alone, Sora was the one to finally broach the subject. "What did you want to talk about?"

"I was wondering if we could talk about what went on last night." Layla was hoping Sora would have been the first one to discuss what happened. The blonde was never good at sharing her feelings but when it came to Sora she was willing to try her best. "The kiss we shared last night meant a great deal to me."

"It meant a great deal to me too." Sora drove home her statement by reaching across the table and grasping Layla's hand.

The blonde was taken off guard by the move. Normally she would have shaken off such a gesture but from the brunette she found it very welcomed. "Kissing never meant very much to me. Before last night, the few kisses I've had never felt a fraction as intense as the one we shared."

Hearing her former partner's intimate confession caused a lump to form in Sora's throat but before she could respond the waiter returned with their order. Sora thanked him as he walked off. When she looked back at the blonde she began to get a little nervous, she didn't know how to say what she really wanted to so she started to nervously lick the cream off the top of her drink.

Layla stood still waiting to see how Sora handled her profession. Self doubting thoughts began to fill the blonde's head in those agonizing seconds. **_"Did it mean as much to Sora as it did for me? Was it just a spur of the moment one time thing? Did she regret it happened?"_**

When Sora looked up to answer she caught the look in Layla's eyes. She could sense a sea of self-doubt and hesitation flowing in that beautiful head. "Layla I'm glad the kiss happened. I've been wanting that to happen for the last month since I realized that I was attracted to you and if I had any doubts before, that kiss washed them away permanently."

Sora's confession calmed Layla's angsty mind. "I'm happy you feel that way. I don't know how it happened but I've felt the same about you. Even when I was at my lowest the only person I wanted to pull me back was you."

Sora knew there was a strong bond between them but there were other desires in her heart that exceeded mere companionship and she had to make sure Layla was on the same page too. "I need to know which way you want me to be there for you." the brunette paused and looked Layla directly in the eye. "Do you want me as a friend or a …" the brunette couldn't bring herself to finish.

Layla knew what Sora wanted. The Kaleido star had already told her she was interested in a romantic relationship with her but Sora didn't know if Layla was interested in the same thing. "If your wondering if I'm attracted to you physically then this is my answer." Layla put her hands on the table and closed the distance between them. Before Sora realized what was happening Layla planted a tender kiss on her lips.

_**>>>>>>>>>>>>**_

It happened so fast that the other patrons were unaware of what just transpired. All of the customers save for one. A black haired woman, that came into the café shortly after the two girls, saw the kiss as clear as day. When it happened she didn't say anything except a startled gasp. Just as the waitress arrived with her order the black haired woman was already heading out of the café.

"Miss?" the waitress said as she watched her costumer walk out the door. "Your forgot your coffee."

_**>>>>>>>>>>>>>**_

Sora was in a daze. When Layla's soft lips touched hers the rest of the world faded into nothingness. It wasn't until Layla put her hand on top of her own did she finally snap out of it. Sora opened her eyes to Layla's smiling face. "I can't believe you just did that." Sora said playfully.

"Neither can I but at least it answers your question." Layla couldn't believe she just did that either. It was an impulsive move for the normally calculated blonde but that was happening more and more in Sora's presence.

"It sure does." the brunette said sheepishly. She was giddy with an overflow of hormones and she had to look away from Layla or she might have let out an unbecoming giggle.

Layla watched Sora with amusement. She knew she could make a guy flustered but having that affect on Sora was amusing. The blonde licked her lips, it still tasted sweet after the kiss. She figured it must have been the cream from Sora's latte that the brunette still had on her lips before the kiss. It reminded Layla of her own untouched drink and she bent down and took a sip. The cream was much less sweeter than she thought it would be, but she figured Sora's lips enhanced her earlier sample. That thought caused the former Kaleido star to turn a nice shade of red.

"So what are we going to do now?" Sora asked after a lengthy silence.

"_I have a few ideas." _the voice that answered her wasn't from Layla, rather it was from a the foot long spirit of the stage that appeared on the end of the table on Sora's side. Seeing the unexpected arrival caused Sora to yelp.

Not hearing Fool's comment, Layla answered the brunette's question. "I think we should do what we've been doing."

"_Yes but more kissing, that was a good move on your part madam." _It was Layla turn to yelp. Passion was sitting near her side of the table once again manicuring her already perfect nails.

The two woman looked at their guardian spirits in panic. Layla stood up from the table. "If you'll excuse me I need to use the ladies room." the blonde used her athletic reflexes to quickly snatch Passion from the table before she carried her off to the bathroom. Because Sora was unable to see the spirit of romance she didn't hear the muffled cries of protest that followed Layla's exit.

With Layla gone Sora turned her burning eyes towards Fool. "What do you think your doing, you nearly gave me a heart attack."

"I'm merely here to lend you a helping hand."

"Last time I checked I wasn't going on stage so why would I need your presence?" Sora reached for a nearby spoon. She brandished it with the intent to show Fool his arrival was unappreciated.

Fool's eyes widened to the size of saucers. "Waittttt!" when he saw that Sora wasn't going to beat him senseless he continued. "You may not be going on stage but your still putting on a show."

That puzzled the brunette. "What show are you talking about?"

"A show as timeless as Adam and Eve my dear Sora. I'm talking about the dance of love."

Sora had to lower her voice to avoid any unwanted attention. "I'm not in the mood for your games. I need you to go away before Layla gets back."

Fool thought about it for a second all the while humming like he was in deep thought "hmm…how about no."

"No?"

The spirit shook his head to confirm his answer. "As in negative, nada, nien." Fool floated up to eye level. "I told you I was on vacation so my time right now is probono.

The Kaleido star always thought of Fool to be like a bad cold you couldn't quite shake. "If your intent on staying just keep your mouth shut."

"I'll try my best."

_**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**_

Layla walked into the bathroom with an irate Passion struggling to free herself from Layla's grasp. After a quick check to see if she was alone, Layla deposited the spirit on the counter. "What are you doing here?"

"You know you have a grip like a badger." Passion said while straitening her hair.

The blonde was out of patience, she as hoping today would be a spirit free one. "Answer my question."

Passion sighed, she knew this was going to happen because Layla was always trouble. "I'm here to give you guidance."

"I don't need guidance."

"Oh yes I could see that, nice move by the way." Passion was impressed by Layla's initiative. "I'll remember that one for my future charges."

"I can't humor you right now. I'm on an important luncheon."

"Luncheon?" the spirit thought it funny how Layla worded it. "That smooch told me it was more of a date."

"It's none of your business."

Passion laughed. "Check my card madam, it's my job."

"You better disappear before I get back." Layla didn't want Sora to find out she had a spirit dedicated to putting the moves on her. "I don't have the time to deal with you."

Passion was not one to be brushed off so easily. "I'm sorry madam but I'm here to stay." Layla gave the spirit the bug eye "Don't give me that look. Just think of me as a helpful shadow."

Layla did something she rarely did, she gave up. The blonde figured the spirit was here to stay. "Fine but keep quiet and stay out of the way."

"_**I wonder if Sora had to go through this with her spirit."**_

_**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**_

Sora watched Layla make her way back to the table. "Remember Fool, keep quiet and stay out of the way."

The blonde sat down and turned her attention to Sora. "Sorry, what were we talking about?"

Before Sora could answer the waiter returned. "Are you ready to order now?"

They both nodded and Layla answered the waiter first this time. "I'll take the turkey sandwich."

The waiter wrote it down then turned towards Sora . "I'll have the chicken please."

"And to drink?"

Both women told the waiter at the same time. "Tea."

Passion snickered as the waiter wrote down the order and left.

Fool looked at Sora . _"At least your timing is still synchronized." _

The brunette didn't humor the spirit with a response, instead she decided to answer Layla's earlier question. "I think we should do what we've been doing."

"You mean dating."

Sora nodded in agreement. Hearing the blonde say that so openly made the little butterflies in her stomach do flip flops. "Yes, I want us to truly get to know one another. I know we've lived together before but we never really talked."

Layla was overcome by a rare case of shyness. "What is it you wanted to know about me?"

"The stuff you don't usually tell people."

"I don't ever tell people personal things."

"You've told me about your past before." Sora reasoned.

"That's because it was you Sora. For some reason I've always felt comfortable confiding in you." Even Sora's presence encouraged her to be open now.

Just then the waiter returned with their order. After he set their lunches down the waiter left them quickly. He could sense a heavy moment between the two women.

The girls stared at their food without touching it. A few quiet moments pasted before Sora broke the silence. "It may be selfish of me but I'm glad you only feel comfortable sharing with me."

Layla looked at the brunette warmly. "Then it's selfish of me for wanting you to fill that way only for me."

Both women smiled in understanding and went about their lunches. They weren't the only ones who were grinning widely, two very satisfied spirits sat and watched the couple enjoying each others company.

**Cape Mary**

Ken placed his hands on his knees and tried to catch his breath. "That was intense."

Manami, who also looked visibly excited, gave the man an incredulous look. "This coming from a guy who used to swing on rafters." Manami looked above her head at the sky serpent. It was said to be the most thrilling roller coaster at the amusement park and after riding it they realized it lived up to the hype.

"Do I look like a monkey? I've never swung on rafters."

The Japanese woman gave Ken a look from head to toe. "I don't know…..you look kind of monkeyish." Ken smiled and grunted in response. "I was talking about those swing thingies."

"It's called a trapeze and it's nothing like that ride we just went on. At least in the trapeze I had control over my movements and fate." The ride was pretty intense for Ken. Out of habit he turned away from Manami and checked his pulse quickly. He always wanted to be physically aware. It was his secret fear that he would suffer another heart attack one day and he always wanted to maintain awareness and control over his body.

Ken thought he did it covertly but Manami, who was paying very close attention to him since they met, caught the move. She was afraid this was a bad idea if it was going to hurt her new friend. "You feeling ok?"

"Don't worry I'm not that fragile." Ken said trying to lighten the mood. When he realized the current look he was getting was Manami's resolve face, Ken decided to be open. "It's just a habit I have. I sometimes check myself to make sure I don't overdue it but it's really just me being paranoid. My doctor says I shouldn't have to worry so much anymore because my heart has strengthened a lot since the accident."

Manami felt a little better knowing that. "Are you sure you want to stay?"

"Of course, I live for these moments." Ken comically puffed out his chest to appear more manly.

The pose made the brunette snicker. "You live for those moments? The screaming told me otherwise."

"I'll have you know those were screams of courage." Kens chest deflated with his ego.

"hmm…I don't think yelling.." Manami put her fingers in the air to mime quotation marks. "I'm going to die, counts as screams of courage."

Ken tried to make a hasty cover up. "I was saying bonzai."

The brunette rolled her eyes. "Sure you were."

After being exposed for his embarrassing display of manhood, Ken decided to change Manami's focus. "Would you like to go get a drink."

"Sure, lead on." Manami was having fun teasing the blonde but she didn't want the boy to think she was mean. "I happen to think a guy who's not afraid to scream like a girl is cute."

Ken laughed. "Your one to talk." He distinctly remembered a certain oriental girl was screaming out, what could only be very colorful Japanese swear words every time they hit a arch in the sky serpent. "You weren't the model of bravery yourself."

"I'm allowed to because I'm not crazy like you and Sora. I couldn't imagine doing the things you guys did on stage."

The blonde blushed slightly at the praise. "It's really quite exciting. There are few experiences in this world that could compare to it."

Manami walked closer to Ken and bumped him playfully on the shoulder. "I didn't think you were the wild type."

"What can I say, I'm full of surprises."

They both shared a companionable walk until they came across a fruit smoothie stand. When they walked up to it the vendor greeted them. "Can I help you?"

They both looked over the varieties before Ken turned to the brunette. "Would you like one?"

Manami looked at the drinks which were nothing more than iced sugar with food coloring. "I'll take the red one."

The red one looked like a cavity in a cup and he wasn't sure if Manami would like it. "Are you sure you wouldn't like to get a cola instead?"

"Nah, I'm feeling brave." Manami pointed to the drink signaling the vender she wanted it.

The smoothie man reached for a new cup. "Good choice, that'll be one red one coming…" The man was interrupted when Ken spoke up.

"Make that two reds."

The vender nodded and reached for another cup. "Two reds coming up." After he filled the drinks he handed it to his customers. Ken reached out and paid the man before Manami could protest.

Ken handed the brunette her drink and she gave a slight bow in thanks. Manami took a sip and grimaced. Ken was curious how it tasted before he tried his own. "How is it?"

"Horribly sweet."

"That bad?"

Man shook her head. "Actually I think it's yummy."

The blonde tried his drink to see what she was talking about and it nearly made him gag. "You must have sweeter tastes than I do."

Manami gave him a shy smile. "I like to think I do."

Ken didn't know how to react to the not so subtle hint. "**_Is Sora's best friend interested in me?"_**

Manami was shocked she said such a thing. The brunette didn't even think she liked Ken till that popped out of her mouth. But now that she thought about it, she did feel very comfortable with him and he was really cute. **_"Maybe it's ok to like him. I don't think Sora would mind, she and Ken aren't even on the same planet."_**

A loud sound of people screaming made Manami and Ken look to their right. A very intense spinning ride just finished and the people were stumbling out. Ken shook off the earlier vibes to his overactive hormonal imagination. "Lets go try that one." Ken said while pointing at the ride.

Manami read the rides name. "Super demon spiral."

Ken laughed at that. "Sounds like one of May's routines."

"Who is May?" the brunette asked calmly. "She your girlfriend?" Manami's nosey question was brought on by a sudden spur of jealousy.

"God no." The question only made Ken laugh harder. "May's a performer that used to compete against Sora. She kind of a handful to deal with and the only person I think she would consider worthy enough to be her boyfriend would be our male Kaleido star Leon."

"Oh." Manami was relieved to hear that. **_"Guess he really only likes Sora." _**That thought killed some of her mood.

Ken didn't notice the girl's sad demeanor so he continued on happily. "Lets go on that ride." the blonde pointed at the twisting ride from hell. After a few minutes he couldn't help himself and he turned towards Manami and yelled. "Bonzai."

That brought a smile back to the brunette's face and she answered the blondes yell with her own. "Bonzai."

**Boston**

"So then Manami slipped off the balancing bar just as the coach walked in."

"What happened then?"

"She just yelled 'Bonzai' and took off before he could find out who she was." Both girls were having a leisurely walk down the main street while Sora was animatingly telling Layla her old school stories. Layla was amazed at the amount of trouble Sora and her friends got into growing up. Ever since they ate lunch at the café, the brunette had been telling Layla about her past, which greatly amused the blonde. The former Kaleido star had to admit that Sora was a very talented at storytelling. "Then what happened?"

"Then the coach…." Sora's voice trailed off as she stopped talking in the middle of her sentence. She just realized that she was talking Layla's ear off for the last hour. "Sorry I get kind of chatty sometimes."

The blonde didn't mind the least, she realized that she could listen to Sora talk all day. "I think it's nice, I don't usually get to just talk with people so I'm really enjoying this."

"Yes but I've been the one doing all the talking, how about you tell me what kind of fun you got yourself into growing up."

Layla had to think it over for second. "Around the age of ten I wanted to try out public school even though my father wanted me to attend a private one. After bugging him for a long time he finally let me go. The first day I went there the kids laughed at me for wearing a formal dress. I didn't know what to wear the first day so I picked out some of my nicer clothes to impress other kids but it had the opposite effect. Lets just say after that day I didn't get along with my classmates."

"That was horrible of them." Sora didn't like the fact the blonde had to endure that kind of ridicule the first day of school. "So did you dress more informally the next day?"

"Actually I didn't." Layla looked introspective before she continued. "I continued to dress like that for the next two years."

Sora didn't know what to make of that. She would have tried to fit in to avoid unnecessary teasing. "Why did you do that?"

Layla shrugged. "I didn't want to give the other kids the satisfaction of changing me so I decided to dress that way to spite them. In the end it didn't matter, I never got along with them and I realized that my father was right I should have attended private school."

"Why didn't you get along with them?" Sora couldn't picture not liking a ten year old Layla. For some reason she could picture Layla as a little girl wearing a nice blue dress and a bright smile.

Layla laughed at Sora's question. "Let me ask you then Sora, was I easy to get along with when you first met me?"

The image of the little girl in Sora mind was quickly replaced by a grown up Layla telling Sora to give up and go home before she brought down everyone else around her. "You were just a little hard to get along with."

The blonde shook her head. "Face it Sora, I was a total bitch to you. Your not the only one, after my mother died that's how I treated most people."

A bitch was not a word she would use to describe Layla in any context. She looked over at Layla and saw a girl who was terribly shy even though she had an extraverted outward appearance. "Your not nor have you ever been a bitch Layla, you just have a hard time warming up to people and because you live your life by such high standards, you expect others to act the same and you get disappointed when they don't meet up with your expectations."

"I think that's the nicest way I've ever seen someone rationalize me being a bitch." Layla reached over and gave Sora's hand a light squeeze. "But I appreciate it anyway."

The two girl's leisurely walk came to a sudden halt. Standing before them was a dance club. Sora wasn't wild about the idea of clubbing but she suggested the last stop so it was now Layla's choice to decide what to do next. After they finished their lunch it was already late afternoon and Layla suggested a local hot spot to go and have fun. The brunette asked Layla why she wanted to go dancing and she simply said it would be fun to see how good the Kaleido star could dance. Sora didn't know what kind of expectation Layla had but she hoped she didn't make a fool out of herself. After the long walk they arrived at their destination when the sun started to arch below the horizon and the townies were flocking towards the club in droves.

Sora shrugged and began walking towards the waiting line of people so they could get in but Layla stopped her with a gentle grasp of her arm. "Sora that's not necessary." The blonde then pulled Sora along ahead of the line to the bouncer standing at the door.

The human wall saw them approach "Wait in line like everybody else…." The bouncer stopped in mid sentence when recognized the blonde woman. "Your Layla Hamilton aren't you?"

"Yes I am."

The bouncer smiled and stepped aside. "Right this way Ms. Hamilton." As Layla nodded and began walking through the door with Sora at tow the bouncer put his meaty arm in front of them blocking their way. "Hold on.. Who's this woman?" The bouncer said as he pointed at the nervous brunette.

Layla put an arm around Sora and pulled her close to her own body. "This is my date." she illustrated her point by taking the brunette's face with her left hand, when she turned Sora towards her she gave the other woman a steamy kiss on the lips. She pulled away from the dazed Kaleido star and once again addressed the bouncer. "If don't have any objections we'd like to go in now?"

"P.pp..please go ahead." the bouncer was quick to amend any insult he may have given the actress. He removed his arm and the two woman walked past. **_"Funny… didn't know she was like that." _**the bouncer shrugged. **_"Movie stars."_**

**Cape Mary amusement park**

"Your possessed." Manami was running quickly to keep up with Ken who was determined to ride every ride before the park closed.

"I can't, you unlocked a demon that can't be stopped." Ken said as he stopped so the brunette could catch up. He looked at Manami's skeptical gaze and broke out in a fit of giggles. "What? Your not having fun?"

Manami smiled. "Actually I'm having a blast, but what's got into you? You haven't stopped going on rides for the last hour."

Ken simply shrugged. "Being so high up and moving so fast, it's almost like being on the trapeze again."

"You miss it don't you?"

Ken nodded. "Everyday, but like I said, I wouldn't trade my current life for anything."

The two began walking side by side now and Manami once again began bumping Ken's shoulder playfully. "I'm glad everything worked out the way it did."

Ken was curious as to where Manami's train of thought was at. "What do you mean?"

"Think about it. If things were different you would probably end up being some stuck up performer who wouldn't want to hangout with some ordinary wanabee hair stylist."

The blonde shook his head. "Your anything bur ordinary Manami, but I don't think I would have ended up like that."

"Who knows, you might have ended up like Layla."

"Layla is not so bad once you get to know her."

Manami had to disagree. When Sora would describe her life at Kaleido stage she would tell Manami of all the times that Layla put her down and said she didn't have what it takes to succeed. When she confronted Sora and asked why she took that from the blonde she told her that Layla did it to encourage her to do better. It was painful to see her strong willed friend acting that way. In Japan the other girl would have never let someone emotionally walk all over her but she realized the situation was much more complicated when the stories Sora would tell her became more and more centered around Layla Hamilton. It was then Manami realized that Sora, whether or not she knew it, was infatuated with blonde Kaleido star. "If that's true how come Layla's constantly blowing off Sora every time she tries to do something nice for her."

Ken admitted that Manami made a good point but she wasn't privy to the newest developments that occurred between the women recently. "I think everything is different now. Layla changed more than you could image and I know Sora had a lot to do with that."

"_**I don't exactly approve but for Sora's sake I hope your right."**_

_**Boston**_

Once inside the club the two women pulled apart and Sora finally regained her ability to speak. "What was all that about?"

"_**I think I went too far." **_The blonde thought Sora was talking about the kiss. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have kissed you like that without your permission."

Sora face turned red. "I didn't mind the kiss." the brunette's racing pulse vouched for that. "I was talking about how you got in."

Layla shrugged. _"Being a movie star has some benefits." _

"What?" Sora had to raise her voice as the two walked farther in the club. The sound of the music was drowning out the conversation.

Layla leaned over and spoke directly next to Sora ear. "I said being in movies has it's perks."

All the brunette did in response was nod. The wash of warm breath against her ear made that the only action she could trust herself with.

When they finally reached the main room it hit them both just how big the place was. It was a sea of gyrating bodies and the music was so loud that it made it impossible to think. Layla was no stranger to this kind of scene, over the years she visited these kind of places to unwind after her life got too stagnant. While she was no stranger to these kind of places, her date was. Layla looked at the brunette and realized this was probably the first night club she ever visited. Most of the time Layla would come to clubs looking for a random partners to dance the night away with. After a fun time she would ditch them without ever getting their names. When she would actually go clubbing with someone she knew, it would always be with Yuri and it was never a problem because that man always blended perfectly into this kind of environment. Now she was here with someone who stuck out like a sore thumb and this wasn't a tease them and leave them kind of date. This was the only person she ever truly cared for and she was hoping this wasn't going to turn into a disaster.

Sora watched the blonde's expression and she could tell the other woman was having second thoughts about bringing her here. **_"I'm going to become Layla's ideal date if it kills me." _**once Sora made up her mind about something then nothing could stop her and if that meant cruising the dance floor and busting a groove then so be it.

"Come on, lets go have some fun." Sora said suddenly as she grabbed Layla's hand and took off for the ground.

**Cape Mary amusement park**

Manami was wondering why Ken acted like this was the first time he'd ridden these rides. "What's with the child like wonder, haven't you gone on these things before."

"You know this is the first time I've ridden the rides here."

Manami didn't believe him. "How come? Didn't you live here your whole life?"

Ken nodded. "Born and raised but I've never had the chance to ride these before." He saw the incredulous look on the brunette's face so he decided to explain. "I don't usually go on roller coasters, I don't really like them. It was because of a bad experience when I was a kid. It's Ironic because that experience was the reason I started practicing trapeze. I guess I always wanted to prove to myself that I could conquer my fears."

"What happened?"

The blonde put his hands up. "No way, I'm not telling you that one. I've already lost some of my manly street cred and I'm not about to waste anymore."

Manami laughed but didn't pursue it. "Fine, but why did you agree to come here if you didn't like ride the coasters?"

Ken tried his puffed out chest pose again. "I was trying to impress you."

"You were trying you impress me?" the brunette laughed even harder. "I think you failed at the screaming."

"I'm telling you I was saying Bonzai."

The two enjoyed the easy banter while they strolled along the park. People mingled about with their families and dates oblivious to the problems of the world. The sun had already set and everyone was happy the artificial light didn't impede the view of the star filled night.

Both Manami and Ken sighed at the same time. Each one of them was filled with the euphoria of a day well spent. It was Ken who broke the silence. "What are you studying in Boston?"

They both found an empty bench and sat down before the brunette answered him. "I was originally studding to be a computer engineer but I changed it recently to a business degree."

"Business degree? What did you plan on doing?"

She wasn't sure if she wanted to tell him. Her family thought it was absurd and the only one that thought it was a good idea was Sora. "I wanted to open a salon someday." She looked over at Ken expecting a mocking look but the expression on his face was unreadable. "What?"

He finally commented. "You went all the way to college in Boston from Japan to be a beautician?"

"_**Great, he thinks my dream is dumb like everyone else." **_Manami sighed and looked down. "Ya."

"That's cool."

Manami looked up not sure she heard him right. "What?"

"I take it you changed it because being a beautician is your dream?" The brunette nodded in response. "Then I think it's great that you follow your dream, it worked out for Sora didn't it."

"I guess it did." Manami was happy there was another person out there that thought her dream was a worthy one.

"That's it!" Ken's sudden exclamation startled the brunette. The boy stood up and reached out for her hand. "Come with me."

"Why? Where are we going?"

"I'm going to be your first costumer." Ken said encouraging the brunette to take his hand.

Manami finally reached out and took his hand and he lead her quickly out of the park. "Where are we going?"

Ken stopped and looked back at Manami "Where else, Manami's salon, your one stop shop for all things haircutily."

**Boston night club**

The two spirits were sitting on the club's light reflecting ball watching the rhythmic chaos that went about on the dance floor. Fool was grasping his head. "This place is making me nauseous."

Passion turned towards Fool. "The club?"

He shook his head. "No, I was talking about this poor excuse for a disco ball." Fool looked over to see if she heard him but Passion was already occupied by watching the girls down on the ground floor. "So what do we need to do now? I personally think they have everything under control."

"I'll admit that things are going better than I could have hoped for but it's still not as far as I would like it to be."

Fool walked over and joined Passion on the ledge of the ball. "Whatever you decide to do I'm not going to play the same role as the other night, I still feel the pain from Sora's punt."

"Perhaps a different approach is needed at a time like this." the silver haired woman winked at Fool. "Last time we tried the role of the creep but now it's time to use the role of the seductress."

"Seductress?" Fool wondered what his partner had in mind. "Your going to play a seductress?"

"Aren't I always a seductress anyway."

The spirit of the stage scoffed. "You wish."

"Whatever." Passion grumbled but decided to give the man a clue. "I'm not playing the part of the seductress, but I think it's about time for the our current Kaleido star to put on a different performance."

"Sora?"

"Who else." Passion clasped her hands together and when she opened her palm a vial of some pink liquid stood in her hand. "With this our shy little Sora will become a full fledged lady of charm."

Fool was skeptical. "Your going to drug her?"

The silver haired woman pulled the bottle to her chest. "You would compare the essence of desire to a narcotic?"

"Essence of desire?" That's just what he thought, another one of Passion's dirty tricks. Fool decided to humor her wacky schemes. "What does that non-narcotic chemical do?"

Passion didn't like his sarcastic tone but she always liked showing off her toys. "Most people have rivers of desire that flow through them, the problem is everyone dams it all up for the sake of society and propriety. That's were this comes in." Passion once again held up the potion. "You could say it tears down the dam and allows the desires to flow freely."

Fool sighed. "Is it safe?"

"Of course it is." Passion let out a loud evil chuckle. "It only lasts an hour or so, but that's all the time it takes for Sora to give Layla a lasting impression."

"If Sora ever found out I was a coconspirator in your insane plot I think she'll probably cut my head off with a pair of rusty scissors."

"Relax monsieur." Passion shrugged. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"Why weren't you the spirit of Misfortune, because I think you missed your calling."

**Down in the club**

Sora led Layla to the bar and sat them down on two available seats. The brunette flagged down the bartender. "Hi, I'll take two shots of something strong, how about tequila."

"Do you have ID?"

"On second thought make that two cokes."

When the bartender walked off Sora turned towards Layla who had been watching the whole scene with smug amusement. "What?"

Layla leaned closer to Sora so she could be heard over the crowd. "I can't believe you just tried to order tequila."

The brunette shrugged. "It was worth a shot."

"Since when do you drink alcohol?"

"I have it when the mood is fitting."

Layla rolled her eyes. "Liar."

"Liar?" She didn't think her fib was that obvious. "How did you know I was lying?"

The blonde reached up and brushed a lock of Sora's hair from her face. The move made the Kaleido star close her eyes for a brief second and when she opened them she saw Layla's hand once again resting on her knee as if nothing just happened. Layla smiled shyly before answering. "You have the most expressive face I've ever seen Sora, and when you lied just now you blushed slightly and looked everywhere but at me, the fact that you nervously scratched your cheek didn't help your case either."

Sora couldn't believe Layla could read her like a book and she was curious at what other things Layla could decipher just by looking at her face. "Am I that transparent?"

"Yes, you wear your feelings on your face and it's one of the things I love about you?" Layla swallowed hard after she stopped talking. She couldn't believe the L-word just came out of her mouth. **_"Love? What I meant to say was like….Yes that what I meant to say, it definitely to early to even consider love."_**

Love was not something Sora expected Layla to say either but she figured it was just the blonde using it as part of phrase rather than Layla's own deep feelings towards her. **_"But if Layla meant it like that then….Stop that, it's just your overactive imagination acting up again." _**The thought of Layla loving her scared her and filled her with immeasurable joy all at the same time but she didn't want to dwell on those kind of heavy thoughts when she was supposed to be having fun. Sora was going to speak up when se realized her throat was suddenly dry. When she was about to inquire where their drinks were she noticed that two colas were already placed in front of them. Sora figured the bartender put them there when both her and Layla were lost in thought. She reached for her drink and took a large sip, after she swallowed she became dizzy for a brief moment before she regained her focus. **_"I must have been more thirsty than I realized." _**

_**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**_

Below the bar counter Fool was hiding behind an empty beer glass. He reached for a small crystal that was the spirit world's version of a walkie talkie. "Passion are you there?"

Passion's voice came out of the crystal loud and clear. _"That's not my code name."_

Fool's eye twitched. "Give me a break Passion."

"_Just use the code names!"_

Fate didn't pay Fool enough to put up with this. After he thought about it, fate didn't pay him at all. "Fine." the spirit sighed. "Are you there enchantress?"

"_Roger that Minion, I can hear you."_

Fool's eye twitched again. "Why is my code name Minion again?"

"_I put a bunch of names in my hat and that's what I randomly drew."_

"You don't have a hat."

Passion simulated static through the crystal. _"I didn't hear that, your signal just broke up."_

"Stop that, these crystals make communication crystal clear, no pun intended."

"_Forget about that." _the spirit of romance wanted to get to business. _"Was the package delivered minion?"_

Fool nodded even though Passion couldn't see him. "Roger that enchantress the package has been delivered." the spirit said sarcastically.

"_Good, everything is going as planned."_

"What plan? Your making this up as you go along."

Passion simulated static again. _"I'm sorry minion but your signal is fading."_

"Whatever, lets just see if it works."

_**>>>>>>>>>>>>>**_

Sora looked towards Layla and had a sudden urge to hit the dance floor and nothing would make her happier than doing it with the blonde. "Layla would you like to dance?" Even though Sora was athletic and coordinated, her one bane was dancing. She might not be the most efficient dancer but she had a sudden desire to impress Layla.

"Sure I'd love too." Layla noted that Sora was being more take charge and she was really enjoying it.

The lilac haired woman reached out and took Layla's hand. Slowly the two girls made their way into the sea of dancing people to stake a claim on their own portion of the dance floor.

When they pushed their way through the throng they came to a relatively empty spot near the center of the gyrating masses. It was so crowded that Layla and Sora was forced to dance only centimeters apart from one another. Even though Sora was out of her element a surge of intensity made the music take control of her body. The sound of the music was hypnotic and the two found themselves in an easy rhythm. Sora was impressed just how skilled Layla was at dancing but it didn't surprise her, Layla was good at everything as far as she was concerned.

Layla watched Sora's matching movements become more and more bold. It seemed like they were on the tight rope again. Their bodies were becoming in sync without them noticing it. It was like the legendary maneuver all over again. Their movements, their breaths, and even their heart beats were in sync. The dance that they followed was spontaneous but for anyone watching, and some were as people began to take notice, the dance looked coordinated to the point of perfection. The two woman crossed each others path, as their shoulders touched they reached out and grasped each others hands and in one swift motion they spun around to meet face to face once again. The reunion only lasted a brief moment before they pushed away from each other only to resume the dance.

The excitement of the dance was intoxicating to Sora. A rising heat began burning up inside her. The fire would flare even hotter the closer she got to the blonde. She was feeling the need to find more and more excuses to brush up against the other woman or to touch her.

Layla noted Sora's style of dancing start to change. Before it was about matching each others rhythm but now it was more of a sultry teasing that she had employed countless times on the dance floor to frustrate her partners. The only problem was now Sora was the one doing that to her and she began to realize just how cruel a torture it could be. The other woman's movements were arousing to say the least and the sweet torture violated the Geneva convention when Sora put an arm around her waist and pulled her against the brunette's smaller frame. Layla was about to say something when Sora arched her back and pressed herself more firmly against the blonde. Layla head was spinning, the feel of Sora's body, not to mention her more womanly assets, made thinking an impossible task. Layla realized she didn't care to think anymore, Layla had been staring at Sora's face the whole time and she noticed the other woman's eyes went from excited to hungry. This was more exciting than any meaningless dance she had in the past, Layla figured it had a lot to do with truly desiring the partner she was with. After reaching around to put a hand on the small of Sora's back, Layla gave into the brunette's new kind of dance and matched her move for move.

**Above the dance floor**

"It seems Sora is finally unleashing the inner her." Passion was pleased to see that her scheming would pay off and the way that Layla responded meant it would pay off very well. "This should loosen up that stick in the mud I call a charge." Passion wondered why Fool was being so quiet. When she looked over she found her partner frozen in place, his eyes were glued to the dance floor and he was suffering from a bad case of drool. Passion sighed. "Figures."

**Back on the dance an hour later**

The concept of time faded from them and they didn't how long they were dancing like that. A slow song, a fast song, nothing mattered but the feel of their bodies pressed against each other. Layla was perfectly content staying there and enjoying the moment but Sora had other plans. The brunette pulled away from Layla and turned her glassy eyed stare upon the blonde. "Lets go."

The blonde didn't understand, she was having the time of her life. "Go?"

The shorter girl came closer to Layla and leaned up to speak up in her ear. "I want to find a place a little more private." Sora said in a smoky voice that left no doubt to her meaning.

"W.w..w.what do you mean?" Layla wasn't sure she heard the other girl right. This didn't sound like Sora.

The other woman giggled. "Let go back to the hotel so we can dance in private." Sora leaned over and gently ran her tongue from the base of Layla's neck to her pulse point where she placed a gentle kiss upon it. The move left no doubt that Sora intended to do a lot more then just dance.

"Sora I don't think…." Layla was cut off as Sora grabbed a hold of her hand and pulled her towards the exit.

**The disco ball AKA Spirit headquarters**.

Fool and Passion watched as Sora led the blonde out of the dance club. The spirit of the stage had been watching the two ever since they started dancing and he was concerned over the drastic personality change. "What exactly did you put in that potion?"

"A little of this, and a little of that." Passion answered vaguely. She too was concerned at the turn of events.

"Passion… what did I give Sora?"

The silver haired woman sighed. "The potion was meant to unlock a person's feelings and give it free reign….nothing more."

"If that's the case how come she's acting like hormone driven teen."

The silver haired spirit scoffed. "Because she is one." Three seconds after she said that a vital piece of information triggered the light bulb in her head. "That's it!"

"What?"

"She's a teenager."

"I think we covered that."

Passion shook her head. "You don't understand." The other spirit gave her a look like that was obvious. "I've never gave this potion to a teenager before, Sora and Layla are one of my youngest cases I've ever had. Normally my charge is more mature and the potion just makes them open up a little but if I gave it to a teenager, which we did, then the effects would be multiplied several times due to their age's chemical physiology."

Fool didn't really understand that but he figured it they left things alone then Sora could do something she would regret later on. "How long till the potion wears off?"

The woman shrugged. "An hour, maybe less."

"We need to run interference."

Passion nodded. "Right…any ideas."

"Whip out your spells, we need to get up close and personal."

**Outside the night club**

Layla was pulled to a sudden stop when they reached the street. The blonde figured they would be walking back to the hotel but Sora couldn't wait that long. As the brunette tried to flag a cab, Layla tried to get a grasp of the situation. One minute they were sharing a very enticing dance the next minute they were in the cold night air trying to get a taxi back to the hotel where Sora planned to take the next step. Layla couldn't really call it a step, to her it seemed like a hurdle over the grand canyon. "Sora?"

The Kaleido star turned her flushed face towards the taller woman. "Yes?"

"I think you need to slow down a little."

"Why?"

"I don't think I'm ready to…"

Layla's sentence was cut off by the abrupt stomping of Sora's feet. "Why can't I ever get a cab when I need one?" said the brunette as she turned her flustered face back towards the street.

The blonde sighed in frustration, it was clear that Sora wasn't paying any attention to her. Just when she was about to try again the brunette's attempt to flag a cab proved successful.

The brunette squealed like a little girl and before Layla could utter a response she was suddenly enveloped by a warm body. Sora had thrown her arms around Layla's neck and just before the taller girl realized what happened, Sora gave her a breath stealing kiss. When Sora pulled away she smiled seductively. "There's more where that came from, lets go"

Layla nodded her head dumbly and allowed herself to once again be led off by Sora. The brunette wasn't paying attention when she turned around and she bumped into an elderly man who was standing near an elderly woman that must have been his wife. Sora's lust driven mind didn't keep her from ignoring her manners. "Excuse me." the brunette let go of Layla's hand and bowed slightly. "I wasn't watching where I was going. I'm very sorry."

The elderly man waved it off. "It's really no problem, were you getting in this cab?"

"Yes, we're heading back to the downtown district."

It was the elderly woman's turn to speak up. "Well then what a coincidence, we're heading that way too. How about we share the cab?"

The brunette didn't mind one bit, it just meant that Layla would have to sit closer to her. "Sure." Sora gave Layla a smile laced with hidden promises and it's sultriness caused the taller girl to blush.

The old man spoke up. "After you young lady."

Sora opened up the taxi and made her way to the farthest side. Just as Layla began to follow the brunette into the cab, the two seniors moved in and took up the middle seats making the blonde sit on the opposite side of the cab. Sora let out a bellowing sigh of frustration. "**_There goes my chance at discreetly coping feels." _**

**Hamilton Hotel Headquarters**

Mr. Richard Hamilton took a sip of his coffee and walked back to his desk. After working long hours he would find time to just stare at the wide open cityscape. In these quiet moments he would remember his beloved wife. Staying at work late at night never happened when she was around. She wouldn't have tolerated him overworking himself, and it was a common occurrence for her to show up at work and literally drag him home. Richard smiled at the memory, he was always addicted to work and the only thing that he loved more than his job was his departed wife. That was until the third member of his family entered his world. When his beloved wife Rola was alive she would try every trick in the book to get him to take some time off and enjoy life but after she became pregnant the hard part was getting Richard to go back to work. He was going to have a daughter and Mr. Hamilton was a dotting father from day one. Growing up he never had any siblings and when it came to family life the only people he ever had a rapport with were his nannies and maids. Having Rola in his life changed him from a cynical business man to a boss loved by all of his employees, but when Layla came into his life he became a person who craved the family life over all the riches of the corporate world. He believed the happiest moment in his life was when he witnessed his baby girl opening her eyes for the first time after she was born.

Richard let out a small laugh as he remembered the first time Layla started walking, it one of many memories he cherished. After Layla was born he was living a dream he never dreamt of having and Mr. Hamilton loved every second of it. But all good dreams come to an end and that's what happened when Rola became sick. When they went to the doctor they found out she had cancer and the news destroyed the paradise they were all living in. Most people believed Layla took it the hardest because she was little and she adored her mother very much but if people only knew what Richard went through they would think otherwise. Richard tried everything to be strong for Rola, he shut himself off from weak emotions and stood guard with his wife like a sentinel she could draw strength from. After a day of putting up a fake resolve, he would sit in one of the many rooms of the mansion drinking and crying himself into oblivion. He suspected that Rola wasn't fooled by his behavior, she knew he was being eaten up in inside and it pained her to know she caused so much worry for those she loved and cared for. In the end it might have been the stress that accelerated her condition, and he blamed himself for it. It caused him to turn bitter and he even took it out on Layla in some ways during the end of Rola's life. After his wife's death, Richard became his job. Nothing stopped him from staying at work late into the night doing everything he could to forget about the one woman he would ever love with all of his heart. His relationship with his daughter also changed. Richard was ashamed to admit it but he hated spending time with Layla. Every time he would look at the blonde a bolt of pain would pierce his heart, his daughter looked so much like her mother her very presence cracked the emotional armor that was forged after his wife died. Richard never wanted to open himself up ever again and he pushed Layla away from him without ever realizing it.

He loved his daughter more than anything and Richard still wanted Layla to be happy, but having her follow the path of a performer cut him deeply. It was something Rola never had a chance to share with Layla, and it was something that Mr. Hamilton kept a secret, but his daughter was walking the same path her mother did. He could almost remember the first time he saw Rola perform and it nearly stopped his heart. **_"She was so beautiful that night." _**

Mr. Hamilton shook his head and walked to the desk where he took a seat. He didn't want to remember those things. They were painful enough memories to have, but knowing his daughter loved and did the same things his wife did was a painful reminder of his loss and that was too much for him to endure. Since she first started expressing an interest in acrobatics, Mr. Hamilton tried to steer her away from it. After a lot of angst he finally relented and allowed her to follow that path, but even to this day he was trying to get her to forget about performing. He figured having a Kaleido star career was a good thing in terms of name recognition, and being an actress was even better but his end goal was to groom Layla to take over the Hamilton empire. It seemed Layla shoulder injury was a blessing and Richard was happy that his daughter was starting to become disinterested in the theater. He was giving her more important task involving Hamilton enterprises to break her into the business world. He even decided to give her the task of finalizing the Paradise hotel merger. It was a deal that had a lot riding on it but he was sure Layla was up to the task.

"_Mr. Hamilton, I'm sorry for disturbing you but Mr. Bracken of Paradise hotels is on line one." _came a voice from the intercom at the large oak desk.

Richard smiled, It seemed liked everything was going smoothly. The man reached over and picked up the phone. "Hello Mr. Bracken, I was looking forward to this call."

"_You have some nerve Hamilton."_ came an angry voice from the other side of the phone.

Richard didn't like the other man's tone. "Excuse me?"

"_I waited three hours for the meeting that never happened, I've never been more insulted in my life. Is this how you run business?"_

"What happened to the contract Mr. Bracken?"

"_What contract, your representative never showed up."_

The news shocked Richard. "There must be some kind of mistake."

"_Your right! The mistake was doing business with you." _

"Listen Mr. Bracken lets not do anything hasty, I'm sure we can schedule another meeting."

"_Forget it Hamilton, I'm taking my business elsewhere, lets see how the Sunshine Resorts people like my deal." _

Mr. Hamilton didn't know what to make of it. "Mr. Bracken…Mr. Bracken." Richard didn't receive answer because the furious man hung up. Mr. Hamilton sighed and set the phone down. "Where the hell was Layla?" this was the first time his daughter didn't come through for him. He reached over and picked up the phone and dialed Layla's cell phone number. Richard was beyond furious but that soon changed to worry when a disconnected message came through the receiver. **_"Maybe something happened to her and that's why she didn't make it there." _**

**Boston**

"_**Why is this happening to me?" **_Layla didn't think the cab ride to downtown would take this long. It seemed like forever since they got in the taxi. One problem was the white haired woman's constant talking that was centered around her hundreds of relatives that Layla didn't give a dam about. The second problem was the dirty old man who was constantly looking down at Sora's breasts. Seeing someone constantly staring at her date's cleavage was really starting to piss her off. Layla had to calm her temper or she was going to make the prime time news for throwing an elderly man out of a moving vehicle. The blonde would have been happy if Sora put a stop to it but the brunette was oblivious to everyone except Layla. Since the moment the car began moving Sora was giving Layla heated stares from across the vehicle. The desiring looks went beyond hungry and started entering the realm of starving. There was something going on with Sora, that much was certain. The problem was Layla wasn't sure she minded. Sora's attention to her was making her body tingle all over and the thought of their private dance was making her stomach do summersaults. She hadn't been feeling this alive for so long and Layla wasn't sure she wanted to stop it.

The old lady waved her hand in front of Layla's face to get her attention. "Are you listening young lady?"

"No!"

"What? I sorry I can't hear too well but where was I?" The old lady looked thoughtful before it dawned on her. "Oh yes! there was this one time with my cousin Ingel when he went to…."

Layla zoned out the old woman's voice. **_"Please god I never ask for much but please shoot me." _**Layla looked at the old woman again. **_"I take that back, please shoot her."_**

**Cape Mary**

"Are you sure we are allowed to be here." Manami was worried they were doing something wrong. They were walking through the dark halls of the Kaleido stage and she didn't know where she was going.

"I'm sure, I work here after all."

"But your all supposed to be on vacation and I don't think coming here this late at night applies." Manami didn't know why Ken wanted to bring her here. Since they left the amusement park the boy had been vague and evasive. She had to admit this spontaneous behavior was rather exciting.

They finally came to a stop at one of the many similar doors that lined the hallway. Ken cracked open the door and reached in with one hand. He wasn't moving at out the way, so Manami figured he was trying to surprise her. Ken flipped on the inner light and pulled his arm back. "Close your eyes Manami."

The woman smiled. "Why?"

"It's a surprise."

Manami relented and did as she was told. Ken grabbed a hold of her arm and led her through the doors. "Are you ready?" asked an excited Ken.

His excitement was contagious. "Ready for what, why are we here?"

"OK, open your eyes."

When Manami opened her eyes she was greeted with the sight of entire roomed filled with salon chairs and mirrors. "What is this?"

Ken laughed at the brunette's bewildered stare. "Back before Yuri closed Kaleido stage down, he fired our company beautician saying it wasn't cost effective. After Kalos got the stage back under his control he never got around to rehiring another one so it's been empty ever since."

"I can't believe you guys had all of this equipment." Manami did her homework when it came to her hobby and she noticed that all of the accessories in the room were top of the line. She knew to most people this wasn't anything to get excited about but for her it was like a pallet for an artist. "How many people did the stylist get to work with?"

"A few dozen performers used to come in here every month for haircuts and manicures, actually it was quite busy here and it saved the girls a lot of money not having to go to town to get it done." Ken was hoping Manami would think this was cool. "In fact the busiest time was during the show days. Melissa, our former beautician, was in charge of coming up with new hair styles to fit the shows."

"That girl must have been lucky, It would have been cool to experiment like that."

"That wasn't the best part either, her job was one of the highest paying jobs here and that probably why Yuri cut it."

Manami didn't care about the money she would have done something like that for free. "This is really cool Ken but why did you want to show me this?" It was like having a carrot dangled in front of her face that she couldn't get to. Seeing all of this made her envious of the woman who used to work here.

"I told you I was going to be your first costumer." Ken waved his arms over the room. "It may only be for one tonight but this place is all yours."

Manami realized Ken was trying to make her dream come true if only for a little while. She smiled and couldn't help but feel touched by the boy's kindness. "So tonight this place is all mine?"

The blonde nodded and sat down on one of the available chairs. "Try not to take too much off the top."

The Japanese girl walked over to the counter and picked up a comb and clippers. "What kind of haircut would you like?"

"Surprise me." Ken got comfortable as Manami walked over and ran her finger through the boy's hair to see which was the best way to proceed. Manami was looking so serious about it that Ken couldn't help but lighten the mood. "Just be sure to turn me into a babe magnet."

The oriental girl stopped and looked at Ken through the mirror. "I guess I don't have to do much work then."

Ken blushed. He was starting to get impression that maybe Manami like him. The blonde mentally shrugged, **_"She Sora's best friend, she's just trying to be nice." _**He let out a breath as the brunette began chopping off pieces of his hair. **_"I hope she's as good as Sora said she was."_**

**Boston**

Layla practically jumped out of the cab when it stopped. **_"If I hear about one more relative I'm committing murder." _**

The blonde wasn't the only one that jumped out of the car, Sora was eager to get to their rooms as fast as possible. Layla noticed the normally energetic brunette was buzzing on a whole new level. She quickly came around to pay the cabby but was stopped when the old lady brushed her hand away. "No need young lady, were going to stay at this hotel tonight so lets split the cab fare."

Layla's eye started to twitch. "Your going to stay here?"

"It seems like a nice place, and besides I haven't told you about my cousin Gertrude yet."

That was enough to spur Layla into action. The prospect of being with that woman for another second was scarier than getting told she would never perform at Kaleido stage again. She reached into her wallet and pulled out three hundred dollar bills and threw them at the cabby. "Just drive, find another hotel, old folks home, anything, just don't let them get out here." with that said Layla slammed the cab door before the old couple could get out and turned back to the cabby. "I said GO!" The cabby took the hint and sped off.

With the cab out of sight the blonde sighed and turned towards Sora but as soon as she did the other woman leaped into her arms and gave her a steamy kiss. The taller woman reacted on primal instinct and returned it. The kiss was intoxicating, but as soon as Sora began brushing her tongue on the blonde's lips did she finally come to her senses. Layla pulled back from Sora, sure they shared a few kisses but they never came close to turning into French ones, which made Sora attempt to do so all the more shocking. That's why the blonde stopped things before they went too far. "I think we need to slow down."

Sora looked away from Layla. "Maybe your right, I guess I got a little too excited."

Layla nodded in understanding. "It's not like I didn't enjoy it, it's just not something I think I'm ready for."

The brunette looked back towards Layla. "Your right, lets just go up to the hotel room, maybe we can have a tea and talk."

"Sounds good."

_**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**_

When the two woman made their way into the hotel the old couple from before stepped out from the shadows of the alley. The man was the first one to speak up. "I think that went well."

The woman smiled. "We cooled it down a little and it looks like the potion finally started to wear off."

The skin of the old man rippled like a pebble striking water and after a moment the flesh folded in on itself until Fool was left with his true form. He brushed off his sleeve and made sure his mask was in place. "That feels much better."

It only took a minute before the old woman transformed back into the silver haired spirit. "Maintaining that disguise is tiring."

"It's a shame that potion didn't last longer because things were starting to get good."

Passion looked thoughtful. "Something doesn't feel right, that potion should have lasted longer than that."

"Really!" said Fool anxiously. When Passion heard how excited he sounded she narrowed her eyes. The spirit of the stage took the hint and tried again. "Really?" This time he sounded much more nonchalant. "Doesn't that mean we should go keep an eye on them."

"Your right." The spirit of romance floated up and looked back towards Fool. "We need to hurry because if I've learned one thing about your charge is that she's very crafty."

Fool laughed. "That was the understatement of the century."

_**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**_

The walk to their rooms was a quiet one and Layla couldn't shake the feeling that Sora was watching her.

The blonde's intuition was true, Sora was staring at Layla when she knew the former Kaleido star wasn't looking. Sora didn't know why Layla was so enchanting tonight but she couldn't get enough of the other woman. Sora always thought Layla was beautiful, especially with her long golden hair, clear blue eyes and soft full lips, but tonight her appreciation of the other girl was multiplied a hundred fold. She knew the blonde was new to this, just as much as Sora was, but right now she needed to feed the hunger that made not touching the other girl painful.

When the two girls reached their destination it was Layla who finally broke the silence. "Your room or mine?"

"Yours."

The blonde nodded and opened the door, but when she took a few step into the room she accidentally kicked something that was lying on the floor. Wanting to see what it was, she turned on the lights and there on the floor was her cell phone. "My phone, I guess it fell out of my shirt when I left his morning." The blonde reached over and picked it up. The lights on device didn't come on and Layla tapped it a few times with no response. "I guess it's broken, I hope no one tried to call me."

Sora nodded and walked past her. When she came to the main room's sofa she took off her white over shirt and lounged on the couch. "Why don't you come take a seat." said the brunette huskily as she patted a spot near her. "Lets get comfortable."

Sora's strange behavior was acting back up again and Layla was getting nervous. "What about the tea?"

Before the brunette could answer, Fool's voice came out of nowhere. "_Your acting strange Sora and I have to say I like it."_ Sora let out a squeak that Layla thought was a response about the tea.

"I can get something else." The blonde pointed at the room phone. "Something from room service?"

"Oh the tea will be fine."

"Ok." said the blonde as she walked over to the kitchen area but she stopped in her tracks. "Maybe it's best we call room service. I'm not at my best when I'm in the kitchen."

Sora had to get Layla out of the area so she could deal with the sudden arrival of the unwanted spirit. "When have you ever done anything poorly, I bet your tea will be tasty, ."

Layla smiled. "I'll only be a minute."

After the blonde walked out of earshot, Sora turned towards Fool. "What are doing here of all times?"

"_I'm just concerned, your not acting like yourself."_

Sora scoffed. "I feel just fine."

"Oh really, the Sora I know wouldn't be so forward on the first date."

The brunette wondered if Fool saw them kissing earlier tonight. "It's none of your business Fool, I know what I'm doing!"

When Sora said this her voice was pretty high and Layla turned around to look at the other woman. "Did you say something?"

Sora shook her head. "Nope…Just sitting here relaxing." satisfied that Layla bought her excuse, she turned back to Fool and started to whisper. "As for you, I think you should leave now or face the consequences."

The spirit of the stage laughed. "What could you possibly do to me that hasn't already been done?"

**Cape Mary**

"All done." Manami said as she stepped back from the barber chair.

Ken couldn't believe how nice the haircut was. "That's amazing, I think you have a gift Manami."

The other woman took the comment modestly. "Oh please, you're a guy so all I had to do was make it short and straight and it would of turned out all right."

"Actually this is the best I've ever looked and I mean it." Ken was being sincere, Sora was right Manami did have that special touch. "I think if you decide to become a stylist then your going to famous, mark my words."

Manami had a few sarcastic words waiting on the edge of her tongue but her response was cut off with the arrival of a third person. "What are you doing here?" came a voice by the door.

When Ken and Manami turned around they came face to face with Kalos. Ken had been caught. The blonde had always been a good boy growing up and the times he got in trouble could be counted on one hand so when his boss stood at the door with one of his unreadable expressions, Ken started to sweat. "Kalos, what are you doing here?"

"I believe I asked that first."

"Well you see….I…we…" Ken was at a lost for words.

Manami saw her friend was in trouble so she tried to come to his aid. "I asked him to show me around Kaleido stage and Ken was nice enough to give me a tour."

Kalos wasn't born yesterday. The owner of Kaleido stage looked towards the pile of hair that accumulated on the ground. "Since when do tours include haircuts?"

Ken took a deep breath and decided to come clean. "I know we aren't supposed to be here Kalos but Manami here said she wanted to be a stylist and I thought she might have liked it if I showed her around the old prepping room. And about the haircut, well I thought it would be nice to see how good she was…"

"Did you do that?" Kalos cut off Ken in mid sentence and pointed to the top of the blonde's head.

Manami nodded her head. "Yes I did?"

The room was quiet as the owner looked over Manami's work. He walked a half circle around the room all the while looking back and forth between Manami and Ken until he finally spoke up. "I'm impressed Ms.?

"Hoshi Manami or Manami Hoshi in America sir." The brunette couldn't help but feel like she was being questioned by a parent. Kalos was just one of those people who gave off a command aura. "And thank you, that's kind of you to say but I'm really just an amateur."

"Amateur or not you have some talent." Kalos paused for a second to give Manami another hard look before he continued. "How would you like a job?"

"A job?"

The owner nodded. "Yes, our last company stylist was let go by a temporary owner and we never got around to hiring another. A lot of the performers have been approaching me about hiring a new one. After seeing your work I think your perfect for the job, that is if your not already employed."

Ken smiled, he new his boss was famous for his spontaneous employments based on Intuition but he couldn't have known Manami was from out of town. "Boss I don't think.."

"I'll take it!" screamed Manami as she interrupted the blonde. When she lowered her voice to it's normal level she continued. "I love to but I don't have a license yet."

Ken didn't know what got into Manami and before he could interject, Kalos voice answered Manami. "You don't need a license to work here because your not at a facility that specializes on cosmetics. And as far as payroll is concerned you will be listed as a staff member rather than a beautician. I know it's a temporary setup until you can get your license but I have a gut feeling everything will work out."

"I'll be able to work here in this room?"

Kalos nodded. "This will be yours to do as you please, you will work modest hours and the pay is good, but I warn you that things will get extremely busy on performance days."

Manami unleashed a smile that nothing Ken had seen yet could compare to. "I think everything is perfect so when do I start Mr. ?"

"Just call me Kalos, and you can officially start next week when the performers start coming back to practice after their off time but you can come in as soon as you'd like to get yourself setup."

The owner held out his hand to seal the deal and Manami gratefully shook it. "Thank you Kalos."

Kalos simply waved if off like it was no big deal. When the owner turned back to Ken he noted the blonde's shocked expression. "I trust this is the last time you use the Kaleido stage for a late night rendezvous, since both of you are going to be working for me I want you abide the rules and stay out of the main area after closing time." Kalos turned to look at Manami once more. "As for you, do you need a ride back to your house because Mr. Robbins will be staying here to clean up his hair."

The Asian girl nodded. "Sure that would be nice."

Ken sighed, this was all turning out differently then he expected. "Can I have word with her before she leaves Kalos?"

The owner simply turned around and walked towards the exit. "I'll be out front when your ready."

With the boss gone Ken turned his steel gaze at Manami. "What are you thinking, in case you don't remember you live in Boston."

Manami looked down at her feet with a sheepish expression. "It's my turn."

"Your turn?"

The brunette looked up to meet the man's eyes. The expression was the same resigned expression that Sora got on her face when she was determined to do something. "I'm tired of forfeiting my dreams. Even back in Japan I always did what people expected of me rather than what I wanted to do, but now I have a chance to make something mine. Sora had the right idea when she gave up everything to fulfill her dream, now it's my turn. I'm not a strong believer in fate but having your boss walk in here and offer me my dream job was definitely a sign that I was meant to be here."

"But you can't just quit school."

"Who said I was quitting school. I'll find a nice community college here to get a cosmetic license and I don't care about going back to school in Boston. It's time I make a change in my life and this is what I'm going to do, no this is what I have to do."

Seeing her resolve won over Ken's heart. "Very well Manami, If your serious about this then I want you to know that I will support you and help any way I can."

"I'll take you up on that." Manami was touched by his sincerity. She didn't tell him but a small part of her sudden decision had to do with spending more time with the blonde. "I should go because your boss, I mean our boss, doesn't look like the kind of man I should keep waiting."

"Your right, I'll clean up here." The blonde smiled and reached over to place a hand on Manami's shoulder. "I really had a lot fun today, possibly one of the most entertaining days I've ever had in my life."

Manami smiled shyly and acted on pure impulse. She leaned over and placed a small kiss on the blonde's cheek. Before Ken could react, Manami was heading out the door. "See you around Ken." said the woman just before she disappeared from sight.

"Wow." Ken whispered as he placed a hand over the spot the woman just kissed. That was a first for him and it made him feel like a million bucks. **_"I could get used to this."_**

**Boston**

Sora returned to the main room where Layla sat on the sofa with two cups of tea that were sitting on the table in front of her. "Sorry just needed to get some fresh air on the patio."

"It's no problem." The blonde had wondered where Sora disappeared to.

The brunette smiled and went to sit down right next to Layla. The couch was very spacious but Sora sat only centimeters from the other woman. The close proximity made Layla gulp. If it was this morning she would have welcomed being so near to the other woman but since Sora started acting strange the blonde only felt anxiety over it. It wasn't because she didn't want to be near Sora, it was because she wanted to be near Sora too much. Ever since they shared their intimate dance, Layla was overflowing with pent up desire and she didn't know how long she could control herself before she did something that she knew she would regret. "What is it you wanted to talk about?"

"This." Sora grabbed Layla's face between her hands and kissed her ferociously. At first Layla didn't react but it didn't take long before her hormone possessed body took control. Sora moaned into the kiss as Layla pushed harder on her lips and returned her hungry kiss with equal fervor. Sora took the hint from Layla's response and broke away from their lip lock. Just as the blonde was going to question what was wrong, Sora's arms slid down and wrapped around Layla's waste and at the same moment the brunette tilted her head so she could began kissing the other woman's neck. The blonde's body was working on autopilot as she tilted her own head to give the eager Sora full access. The lilac haired girl didn't waste any time lavishing Layla's neck with playful nibbles followed by cooling caresses from her tongue.

Sora was driving Layla beyond the point of stopping and just before she was going to give in and enjoy the moment a feminine voice called out and interrupted her sweet oblivion. _"I advise you to stop." _

The blonde's eyes flew open and she stared at the silver haired spirit who was hovering just behind Sora's head. Layla acted on impulse. "Go away!"

Hearing the other woman's adamant demand cut through the potion's effect in Sora's mind. She pulled back and stared at Layla in shock. "Oh god, did I do something wrong?"

The blonde looked back and forth between the spirit and Sora. She could see the hurt in Sora's eyes and she would do anything to make it go away. "No…It was my leg." said Layla as the first thing that came to her mind.

"Your leg?"

"I got a cramp and I wanted it to go away because it was ruining the mood." The lie wasn't the best one but Layla hoped Sora would buy it and to her relief Sora smiled and looked relieved.

"_That was a lame excuse madam." _Passion said as she tried to get Layla's attention. _"Make up a better excuse and send Sora home because we need to talk."_

Layla tried her best ignore the spirit which was accomplished when Sora once again gained her full focus. "Which leg is it?" asked a concerned Sora.

The blonde was never good at lying but so she decided to go with the flow. "This one." said Layla as she pointed to the leg nearest to Sora.

Sora smiled and ran her hand gently over Layla's thigh. The bold move was so sudden it caused Layla to gasp out in surprise. "Would you like me to massage it for you, I'm sure it'll make you feel all better."

"That's not necessary." came Layla's response which was a few octaves higher than her normal voice. Whether Sora heard her or not didn't matter because the brunette began to knead the flesh of her thigh gently. Any response was cut off as Layla let out an involuntary moan. She never thought in a million years that Sora of all people would know how to push her buttons.

Things were starting to get more intimate and Passion once again interrupted the girl's moment. _"If you continue like this your going to regret it later."_

Layla had enough of the meddling spirit who butted in just when things were starting to get good. "Wait right here." said the blonde as she pulled back from the other woman.

Sora was confused. "Why? Where are you going?"

Layla lied. "I wanted to change into something more comfortable."

"It that's what you want." said Sora but she didn't stop her caress.

The blonde put her hand over Sora's stopping it's movements. "I'll be right back." Layla said as she leaned over and kissed the brunette. Sora was startled when Layla got up and snatched out her arm in the air like she was trying to grab something.

"You ok?"

"Just another cramp you can massage later." said the blonde as she headed into the bedroom. She didn't catch the eager grin that was plastered on Sora's face.

"I can't believe you." said the blonde when it was just her and Passion in the room alone. "You're the one that told me to get together with Sora and now your telling me to stop."

The struggling spirit wormed her way out of Layla's grasp high enough for her voice to heard. "What I want is for you to have a lasting relationship with her not a one night stand."

"What's the harm, Sora wants this as much I do?"

"Sora may indeed want this but not now and definitely not so soon."

The blonde thought the spirit was blind. "I have reason to believe otherwise."

Now it was time for Passion to start squirming. "I think I have something to do with that."

Layla's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"I only meant well."

"Tell me!" Demanded the blonde.

Passion sighed and decided to come clean. "Tonight I slipped Sora a potion to cut through some of her mental barriers and allow her to be more open about what she wanted."

Layla was shocked. "You gave her a roofie!"

The spirit was offended. "I'll have you know it's an ancient elixir said to be used by the goddess of love herself."

All of Sora's actions since the club started to make sense. Part of her was relieved that Sora really wasn't under her own control but another part of her was disappointed that all of their shared moments weren't Sora's original intention. "Why would you give Sora this potion if you knew things would turn out this badly?"

"That's the problem, I didn't know. When I gave the potion in the past my charges were more mature and I didn't account for all of the pent up teenage desires that Sora must have had."

"Are you saying that Sora acted on her subconscious desires?"

"Yes."

For some reason that made Layla feel much better. **_"All of the things that Sora did tonight were things she wanted to do but she would never allow to happen." _**That thought caused her to blush.

Passion hoped the blonde understood. "So that means that you need to send her home till the potion wears off or you are going to regret doing something now that you can't take back later."

Layla nodded in understanding as she walked over and retrieved an unused belt from the closet. Passion was curious as to what the blonde was doing. "What's that for?"

Layla didn't say anything instead she wrapped Passion up tightly with the belt all the while ignoring the spirit's sudden screams of protest. Satisfied about her work, the blonde opened the patio and stepped out into the cool night air. Walking to the edge she tied the end of the belt on the railing and left Passion to dangle over the ledge. "Consider that your punishment for drugging my date." With that said, Layla walked back into the room leaving the spirit to stew. What the blonde missed when she left was a shoe string attached to the railing right next to the belt.

On the end of the string was a tied up Fool staring smugly at the spirit of romance. "I see you've come to hangout." said Fool who thought his phrasing was hilarious.

Passion wasn't amused. "Very funny..ha ha ha, laugh it up because your in the same predicament that I'm in."

"I'm used to it." He finally took note of Passion's arrival. "I take it you were successful."

"I hope so, the only way to stop it was to come clean with Layla."

"Ouch. I'm surprised this was all you got."

"All I got." Passion was irritated that Fool thought she got off lightly. "Is this your idea of probation?"

The spirit of the stage would have shrugged if he could. "At least it's nice outside. But think about our situation a little harder and you will be pleased."

Passion sighed. "How so?"

"Sora and Layla punished us in the same exact way, If that doesn't say their made for each other then I don't know what does."

Passion grunted. "If that is your definition of soul mate then that means your more demented than I gave you credit for."

"C'est la vie." said Fool haughtily.

"Arrg, that's my line."

Fool stuck his tongue out at Passion and let out a loud bellow of laughter. His laughter died as quickly as it came when a new sound interrupted his mirth. A flap of wind and a coo caused both spirits to look up at the railing. There sitting on the perch was the pigeon from this morning. The bird looked at Fool for a second before it started pecking his feet. The pecking didn't hurt but it was very ticklish and it caused Fool to scream out hysterically.

It was Passion turn to smile smugly. "Merci monsieur pigeon, Merci."

_**>>>>>>>>>>>>>**_

When Layla returned to the bedroom she didn't know how to proceed. **_"If I turn her down she's going to think I don't want her, and god knows that isn't the truth." _**

The blonde sat on her bed and debated on what to do next when she remembered the excuse she told Sora. **_"I need to change."_**

Since it was nearing her bed time Layla reached over and picked up a night gown. She was ready to put it on before she realized what it would looked like. "**_I guess silk lingerie would send the wrong message."_**

She looked through her night attire when she suddenly realized that all of her clothes were considered risqué by normal standards. The only other option was the outfit that Sora gave her but she wore that last night. Layla let out a sigh and settled for a standard T-shirt and jogging shorts. After she looked at herself in the mirror she was satisfied that it looked presentable. Layla turned and walked towards the door.

"_**What am I going to say? Will she be upset? Should I just tell her the truth about Passion and tell her what happened?" **_All these questions burned in her mind but proved pointless when she returned to the main room. There laying on the couch was Sora sleeping soundly. Layla let out a sigh of relief as she walked towards the Kaleido star. **_"Seems the potion wore off."_**

The blonde didn't want to wake the girl so she walked back into her room and retrieved a bedspread. Layla came back and as gently as she could she placed the blanket over Sora. When she was done Layla sat on the edge of the sofa carefully so she didn't wake the sleeping woman.

Everything that happened in the last two days came to her all at once and afterwards it left her mentally exhausted. The blonde let out a yawn, she figured it was time to go to sleep. She wanted to leave but the lilac haired woman was enchanting. Layla looked down at the woman who captured her heart so utterly and completely. The former Kaleido star noticed how peaceful and angelic Sora looked while she was sleeping and it made the butterflies in her stomach do back flips. "**_If they ever make a performance based on Sleeping Beauty then I know who would be perfect for the part." _**The blonde reached out and gently stroked Sora's soft cheek. **_"I'll just make sure they cast me as the princess who wakes you from your slumber."_** Layla couldn't help herself as she leaned over and stole a gentle kiss from Sora's lips. "Good night my love."

To be continued:


	7. Chapter 7

This is a short update but there is more to come. In the next chapters I'll be doing more character side stories like I did with Manami and Ken. It's my goal to give all the Kaleido favorites a little screen time, or word time so to speak. Anna, Mia, Rosetta, May, and what the heck maybe even Jonathan but you get the point. Also blame the shorter than usual update on my Fan art making hobby that consumed alot of my time, so take a look when your done reading the chapter, its how I visualized the ending.The picture is at my deviantart account that's linked as my homepage on author profile. That as they say is that.

Disclaimer: You know what? Forget the disclaimer. I made up all the characters, I own them now so I can do what I want muahhaahahaha.

Thoughts are **_Bold _**and enfaces and flashbacks are _Italic_.

Chapter 7

Sora shot up in her bed, or what she thought was her bed. When she finally became fully awake she noticed she was sleeping in a sofa and this wasn't even her hotel room. The morning sun bathed the main room in a bright blinding light and Sora looked around to get a grasp of her surroundings but it made her wish she didn't. The brunette's head was pounding and the whole world was spinning. "This must be what a hangover feels like."

It took a minute to figure out how she got there. **_"I remember the café, our walk, and the night club…" _**Sora's mind came to screeching halt. **_"The dance…. then after the dance…."_**

"Oh no!" Sora shook her head to make sure she wasn't still dreaming. When she realized she was wide awake and the events of the previous night took place, she only had one course of action. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

The scream was so loud that it startled Fool from his sleeping spot on the couch's back rest. The spirit's tumble landed him right on top of Sora's lap. "What? Did someone get murdered?"

It took Sora a minute to acknowledge Fool's presence. "Fool?"

"Who else?" said Fool as he picked himself up and gave the brunette a sour look for spoiling his pleasant nap. "Why were you screaming?"

Sora grabbed Fool and held him at eye level. "What happened last night?"

"From what I could see you had a lot of fun." the spirit smirked. "I've never seen Layla blush so much before, and here I always thought she was made of ice."

"This can't be happening." said the brunette as she fell back on the sofa and let out a groan of frustration.

After being freed from her grip the spirit of the stage hovered near Sora's head and gave her a sympathetic look. "I know your feeling sorry about tying me up and leaving me at the mercy of a killer pigeon but cheer up because I already forgive you."

"I don't care about that, I was talking about what I did last night to Layla." The brunette remembered everything with shocking clarity and she couldn't believe she did the things she did. The image of her kissing Layla passionately flashed in her mind and it caused the blood to rise to her face. Sora reached up and touched her lips. She remembered how it felt, the warmth, the softness, and above all else the intensity. It felt like an animal that was living inside of her was released and it practically mauled the woman she cared for. The foundling and the groping was one thing but it made her shiver to think about how far it would have gone had she not fallen asleep. Her primal actions last night were inexcusable and she never thought she had so little control over her body. "That was me and not some doppelganger right?"

Fool wanted to make Sora feel better by telling her the truth but he cared more about himself at the moment and he knew once he told her everything then there would be hell to pay. "I'm afraid so but look on the bright side, you made a lasting impression on Layla and now she knows exactly how you feel about her." Fool didn't get a response so he tried some levity. "Shame she knows the truth about you now."

"What truth?" answered Sora after Fool got her attention.

"That you're a sex starved deviant."

"Funny." the brunette sighed. "Maybe your right."

"Stop with the melodrama already." Fool floated in front the girl to give her one of his all knowing looks. "Ask yourself this, was Layla upset over your actions or did she return them?"

Now that Sora thought about it, Layla did seem to return her advances. **_"Which means she might have done…that" _**

Fool saw that his point sunk in. "You don't have to worry anymore, she obviously liked it."

"That's the problem, I don't want her to get the wrong impression."

"How so?'

"After last night Layla probably thinks I want to do…that, and I'm certainly not ready to go there. After the way I acted I don't blame her for thinking I'm a slut or something."

The spirit knew Layla had the whole story but he wondered how he was going to get Sora to let it go. "I'm sure she's just as guilty of what happened last night as you are."

"Meaning?"

"Last night I think you two just got worked up on the dance floor among other things. You were ensnared by the moment and lost control, it's a common mistake made by those engaged in a new romance. She probably isn't ready to take that step anymore than you are and I'm sure she doesn't think any less of you."

Sora was skeptical. "Do you really think so?"

"Of course." Fool's resolve face left no room for arguments. "You should just count yourself lucky that you to didn't ruin what you started to build. I'm sure Layla woke up this morning thanking the deities that you passed out before she did something she wasn't ready for."

Sora smiled. "I hate to admit this but maybe your right."

The spirit looked smug. "I always am."

"Wait." the brunette did a quick scan of the room. "If this is Layla's room where is she?."

"I don't know." Fool shrugged. "I woke up the same time you did."

The brunette got up from the couch and walked to the open bedroom door but she stopped right before she entered. **_"What if I wake her up, and do I really want to see her after what I did last night."_** with that thought in mind, Sora turned around and started tip toeing towards the door.

Fool watched his charge's antics with annoyance. "Oh for the love of fate." the sprit floated into the bedroom only to return five seconds later. "She's not in there."

Sora looked back at Fool. "What do you mean she's not there, it's early in the morning where else would she be." an unnerving thought entered Sora's mind. "Do you think she wanted to avoid me so she took off, I bet she even went to Macquarie's room." she couldn't help but say that last part with annoyance.

"Calm down, I sure there is a logical explanation."

"Like what?" demanded Sora timidly. "I bet she got freaked over last night. I know I would have been freaked and I was the one doing it."

"She could be anywher…" said Fool but he stopped in mid sentence as a smell hit his nostrils.

Sora was curious as to what Fool was smelling until she noticed it too. "What is that?"

The spirit shrugged.

The brunette didn't waste any time investigating. She noticed the closer she got to the kitchenette the stronger the smell got. It didn't take her long to identify the source. There sitting in the small sink was a pan with a large amount of charcoaled layering. Whatever it used to be she couldn't say but now it looked like an alien experiment gone bad. "I think we should get the government to classify this, it definitely proves the existence of extraterrestrials."

Fool smirked. "Funny." his smile died as he took a good look at it. "Maybe your right."

The two were so engrossed in their examination of the other worldly goo that they missed the hotel door opening. Sora was about to make another comment but she was interrupted by a harsh demanding voice. "What are you doing in here?"

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

Macquarie was sitting on her room sofa looking out at the window to the city. Her world fell apart yesterday and she didn't know what she was going to do. She had always tried to be patient with her feelings and allow Layla to realize how she felt about her, but after witnessing her mistress kiss that Kaleido star in broad public, she knew she missed her chance.

Macquarie looked over at her packed suitcases. She booked a flight back to New York and it was almost time for her to go. Layla might have become distant from the Broadway stage but it was actually something that Macquarie enjoyed to do. The producers were putting up a new show that Layla had already turned down. One of them saw Macquarie's performance during 'The Phoenix' so they wanted to offer her the part. It was something she hadn't told Layla because she knew her mistress would insist she go, but leaving was something that the maid couldn't do. Macquarie had made a choice to always stay by Layla's side and all the fame and fortune of showbiz couldn't make her waver from that decision. That was until Sora came back into her mistress's life.

In just a single day she felt like giving up and distancing herself from the pain that overtook her heart. Macquarie couldn't compete with Sora when it came to Layla's love and she knew it. **_"A new life… I could start a new life and all I'd have to do is get on that plane and I wouldn't ever have to see Sora Naegino again."_** a tear slid down Macquarie's face. **_"But that also means I wouldn't ever see Layla again."_**

Macquarie looked at her watch and noticed it was time to leave or she would miss her flight. She got up and grabbed her suitcases and headed for the door. Macquarie stopped dead in her tracks before she could leave. "I can't." said the girl as she fell to her knees and began crying. "I can't give up, not yet."

"_**Layla can't be happy with that woman. She belongs to me and that's how it was meant to be. I can't let this continue, I have to find a way to stop this."**_

Her cell phone chose this moment to start ringing. It startled her at first, it was almost like an answer to her selfish prayer. She gave herself two rings to compose herself before she answered. "Hello?"

"_Macquarie is that you?" _came a gentleman's voice on the other line.

"Mr. Hamilton."

"_Good, I finally got a hold of someone. I've been trying to contact Layla but her cell phone must be broken. I was worried sick that something happened to her. She is all right isn't she?"_

Macquarie nodded even though no one could see her. "Yes, she seems to be fine."

"_Nothings wrong with her?" _asked Mr. Hamilton.

Macquarie noticed his excited tone was gone now. His voice now took on a low calm tone. "Yes Mr. Hamilton, there is nothing wrong."

There was no answer on the other line for several moments and Macquarie thought that Layla's father had hung up, but Mr. Hamilton's voice did come through once again and this time it sounded furious. _"If there is nothing wrong then what the hell happened to the contract meeting with Mr. Bracken yesterday?"_

The maid sighed. "Mistress Layla had other arrangements."

"_Other arrangements?" _

Anytime Macquarie was ever asked about Layla's personal affairs she usually feigned ignorance but a wicked thought burned in her mind. **_"What if I don't have to do anything to get what I want." _**

"I don't think it's my place to say Mr. Hamilton."

"_What is it Macquarie?"_

"Your daughter has been acting very strange lately."

"_Strange… strange how?" _asked the concerned father.

Macquarie got a sick feeling in her stomach for what she was about to do. Macquarie looked down at her suitcase and realized that she wasn't ready to start a new life when she hadn't given up on the old one yet. "Layla is behaving in ways I know you wouldn't approve of and it all started when Sora came here to visit…."

**>>>>>>>>>>>>**

Sora was startled by the new arrival. When she turned around she found a very embarrassed looking blonde staring at her with two bags in her hand. "Layla, you startled me."

"I'm sorry but you shouldn't have seen this." It was clear she was talking about the black substance that enthralled the smaller girl earlier.

Sora's eyes wandered over to the gunk in question. "Layla?"

"Yes?"

"What is that?"

Layla looked everywhere but at Sora. "It's your breakfast." said the blonde in a low voice that was barely audible.

"B…b…b… breakfast." The idea of that stuff being compared to something that was eaten was shocking to say the least. "That used to be food?"

The blonde sighed. "This morning you were out cold and I thought it would be nice if you woke up to a nice breakfast. Macquarie had stocked the fridge so I decided to try my hand at cooking but it didn't turn out so well."

"_**Understatement of the century." **_Sora smiled. "It's the gesture that counts." the girl pointed to the bag in Layla's hand. "What's that?"

"After the hotel safety manager declared that everything was safe I went and got you food from the restaurant across the street."

"That was nice of you Layla." Sora said before she did a double take. "What do you mean safety manager?"

Layla set the food down on the counter. "The smoke triggered the alarm and he came up to see if we needed to call the fire department."

While the blonde went about getting the food out of the bag, Sora wondered exactly what happened this morning. "There was an alarm and people running around the room and I slept through the whole thing."

The blonde nodded. "You were completely out of it. I think an atomic bomb could have gone off and you'd still be asleep." Layla cringed when she realized that kind of joke probably wasn't very funny to someone of Sora's nationality.

The brunette didn't seem to care. "I just can't believe I didn't wake up, last night must of really took a lot out of me." having said that, Sora remembered exactly what happened last night. A sudden wave of anxiety washed over the Kaleido star. Her face began glowing red and she turned away from Layla to avoid the other woman's eyes. If she saw even a hint of regret in Layla's bright blue orbs she knew she would be crushed. The wonderful feeling that resided in her heart since she came here was something that was precious to her, and Sora was afraid after the way she acted last night that this would be the end.

Sora wasn't the only one that found it hard to look the other in the eye. Layla was laying out the food she bought with her back turned to the smaller girl. She was feeling an enormous amount of guilt over last night. The blonde couldn't help but feel like she took advantage of Sora. She might have gone all the way if Passion hadn't told her about the potion and doing that with Sora when the other woman wasn't in full control of her own actions made it feel like a violation of everything they had together.

Sora was drowning in a sea of her own insecurities. She didn't want to deal with the rejection right now so she figured the best option was a fast break. "I thinks it's best if I go to my room right now." said the brunette has she headed for the door without ever looking back at.

The brunette was already out the door when Layla finally snapped out of her stupor. "Sora?" Layla called out but it was useless, the other woman was already gone. Layla looked at the uneaten breakfast that she set out. "Dam."

Passion, who watched the whole thing, shook her head and decided to ignore Layla's earlier warning about staying quiet for the rest of the day. "Are you happy now?"

The blonde sat down on the stool lining the kitchenette's counter. "Of course not but she's obviously regretted this whole thing."

"If your weren't so self-absorbed you might have seen that she was worried that you were the one who regretted things."

"Of course I don't."

"Does she now that?

"Yes, if she recalled what happened between us last night then she remembered I didn't exactly turn her down." reasoned Layla.

The spirit of romance let out a sigh of frustration. "Self-doubts cloud all reason so if you don't get off your ass and go after her I will personally call upon all my power to make your life a living hell."

The blonde was shocked at Passion's harsh attitude. "Excuse me?"

"I just need you to take a chapter from the book of Sora, if you want something bad enough then give your everything to make it happen. I know this is all new to you and your allowed your share of hesitation but right now there's a chance that you two could mess this up and it'll all be my fault." the spirit choked back a sob.

"Passion?" asked a concerned Layla. She didn't know her guiding spirit took her mess up that strongly.

The silver haired woman turned around so she didn't have to look Layla in the eye. "Please make this better Layla. I can't be the cause of messing up your romance. You don't know what would happen to me if I failed you two." this time Passion did sob and made Layla feel lousy.

"Please don't cry, I'll fix this you'll see." making good on her words, Layla quickly packed up the breakfast and headed out the door as fast as she could.

When Layla was out of sight, Passion fell over laughing. "I never thought she was that gullible."

>>>>>>>>>>

When Layla got to Sora's room she knocked on it gently. "Sora?..Sora if your in there I need to talk to you." Layla waited patiently with no answer so she knocked again with no luck. **_"Where is she?"_**

The blonde put her ear to the door and she thought she heard a faint sound of water running. The girl pulled back from the door and headed straight to her room. Layla was a woman that couldn't be deterred when she was determined. After she enter her room again she noted that Passion was conspicuously absent. Not bothering to give it a second thought the former Kaleido star walked through her bedroom and on to the balcony outside. Sora's balcony was a good distance from Layla's but she made easier jumps in her sleep. The blonde gripped the food she brought and hopped up on the ledge. The morning traffic was in full swing and she could see everything perfectly form her high vantage point. A normal person would have been scared stupid to be standing on a seven inch railing overlooking a street several stories high, but this just happened to be Layla's element. She saw her target on the other side and then she closed her eyes. Everything in her surrounding was pictured perfectly in her mind. Without bothering to reopen her eyes, Layla leaped from the ledge to cleared a distance few people in the world could pull off.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Sora was working on autopilot since she got back to her apartment. Fool tried to engage her in conversation but she ignored him. She decided to shower and put some distance between her thoughts and she was half way through her morning ritual when she realized her actions toward the blonde was very rude. Layla went through all this trouble this morning to get her breakfast and she just walked out on the other woman with little consideration. "I could at least take my rejections with dignity and do it over a nice meal."

The brunette decided to apologize as soon as she was done but when she left the bathroom, wearing nothing but a towel, she was shocked with the sight that was before her. There laid out in front of her was a very expensive looking meal sitting on the floor at the foot of the bed. That wasn't the only thing sitting at the foot of the bed, a certain blonde haired performer waited patiently there with her eyes averted away form Sora. "Layla-san?"

"Lets do this right Sora." said the other woman with her eyes still averted. "Good Morning."

"huh...oh good morning to you too." Sora was wondering why the taller girl refused to look at her. With her insecurities still fresh in her mind she inquired about it nervously. "Is there something wrong because you wont look at me."

The blonde nodded and Sora's heart sank but before the brunette could dwell on it, Layla pointed at the Kaleido star's laid out clothes. "I think it would be best if you got dressed before we talked."

Sora looked down at the towel she was wearing and noticed she happened to pick out the smallest one. The thin white material scantily covered her body and left little imagination to the rest. "Ach, sorry Layla."

The taller woman blushed. "It's not that I'm complaining it's just a little distracting."

Sora nervously laughed as she grabbed her clothes and went to get dressed. When she returned this time Layla wasn't looking away from her but rather she was looking directly in her eyes with a determined look. "Please have some breakfast, I think it's best we have a talk."

The brunette nodded and sat down across from Layla. "How did you get in here? I thought I locked the door."

Layla gave Sora a cocky grin. "The other door wasn't locked."

"The other door…" Sora noticed her balcony door was open to the cool morning breeze. "Wait, don't tell me you…" the brunette trailed off.

Layla nodded. "It was simple but I had to see you before it was too late."

"About that…" began Sora but Layla cut her off.

"Please Sora, I need to get everything out in the open." the blonde looked away for a second to gather up her will before she continued. "Last night was fun, I'd have to say it was one of the most enjoyable times I've ever had that weren't fifty feet up in the air doing some impossible stunt. I never knew spending time with someone could that fulfilling. It was an exhilarating experience and I think the excitement got to our heads. We gave into the moment and we lost control, it's that simple."

"I was the one out of control Layla."

The taller girl shook her head. "We both were. I could have stopped all your advances but I didn't."

"Why not, I was way out of line."

Layla gave Sora one of her rare smiles. "Because I didn't want to. I wanted your affections probably more than you know, but looking at it now, I realized we were both jumping the gun a little." Sora nodded in understanding as Layla continued. "I don't want you to think I regretted last night. I don't ever want you to think I don't want this, because wherever we are going I want it to be together."

Sora smiled. "Like being partners again."

"You're the only true partner I'll ever have Sora so don't be scared off because you think I can't take what you can dish out."

Just like it always did, Layla's words gave Sora strength. She felt a million times better that everything was out in the open and the blonde didn't have any regrets over last night. "Your right as always."

"I'm glad you.." whatever Layla was going to say was cut off by the sound of Sora's stomach. The brunette's face started glowing, and Layla put a hand over her mouth to choke back the laughter that was bubbling at her lips.

"It's not that funny."

"I have to disagree…" Layla was once again cut off but this time it wasn't Sora's stomach that did it, it was hers.

"I…guess…that…means…we…should…eat." said Sora in between bursts of he own laughter.

A very dignified Layla scoffed. "Stop laughing so hard or you'll spit food all over me."

Sora controlled herself and turned to the food. "This looks delicious, thank you."

"Your welcome." said Layla as they both began eating. The morning angst was now behind them and they just ate while enjoying the others company. "I have to apologize for intruding on your privacy with the window stunt but I couldn't let things sit like they did."

"I understand but I can't say that I would do the same thing in your position." Sora thought it was a very romantic thing for Layla to do. "That jump was way to long for me to pull it off."

"I'm sure you could do it." said the blond as she smiled. "But I guess that means I still haven't lost my touch."

"You better believe it." Sora's smile beamed. "Soon the posters will say 'The Magnificent Layla returns to Kaleido stage to wow the world."

"That's if the surgery is successful."

Sora reached over and placed her hand over Layla's. "Of course it will." the brunette looked over Layla's shoulder to the outside ledge where Fool sat and appeared to be talking to himself. "You'll even be able see Fool in no time."

"God help me."

Fool called back into the room. _"I heard that." _

Layla, who was not able to hear fool, continued on without taking note of the interruption. "Sora, today is the day I'm going to be admitted to the hospital for the preliminary tests and examination."

"I thought surgery was tomorrow."

The blond nodded. "It is but Dr. Everett needs to start me on medication that's essential for the surgeries success."

"Are they safe?" asked a concerned Sora.

"The doctor says so but I need to remain under examination till I go under."

Sora nodded and hoped this wasn't the last meal they were sharing today. "So when do you go?"

"This afternoon." the room was quiet after she said that and the room fell into an awkward silence. "I know it's presumptuous of me to ask but would you like to come with me when I go. I'm sure Dr. Everett would like to meet the woman involved in the legendary maneuver."

"Did you have to ask?" The brunette smiled happily. "I'd love to go Layla-san."

"Thank you." said Layla who meant it from the bottom of her heart. "So this is what that feels like."

"Like what?"

"Having someone who will be there for me when I need it."

The brunette didn't say anything. Having Layla wanting her to be around for one of the most crucial moments in her life meant the world to Sora. A tightness formed in the Kaleido star's chest, she knew if she didn't do something about the feeling it would become unbearable. After a small debate in her head, Sora scooted closer to Layla. "May I kiss you?" asked the shorter woman with a warm look in her eyes.

"Did you have to ask?"

Sora reached over and gently ran her fingers down the length of Layla's hair. It grew a lot since she cut it and the silken tresses now reached past Layla's shoulders. "Your letting your hair grow long again."

The blonde simply nodded. She didn't want to say anything for fear of breaking the spell that enveloped them in their private moment.

"I always thought your hair was beautiful." whispered the smaller woman as her fingers slowly brushed along Layla's chin while she was glided them across the other woman's hair. She stopped when a silent plea came through from Layla's bright blue orbs. Sora knew what the taller woman wanted and she didn't waste any time as she leaned up and brushed her lips gently over Layla's. The kiss was slow and tender and the brunette relished every second of it.

This kiss was nothing like the one Sora gave Layla last night. While those were hungry ones laces with sexuality, this one was on a whole different level. This was the kind of kiss that portrayed the deepest type of affection. Sora might not have said the words out loud but her kiss was telling Layla the one thing she secretly longed to hear all her life. _'I love you'_.

A warm feeling spread throughout the blonde's body and it was the same feeling she had when kissed Sora goodnight. The words she uttered at that moment still echoed clearly in her mind. _"Good night my love."_ When she said that it was done on instinct but she realized that deep in her heart, for the first time, those words were true. Layla didn't have to say the words out loud either but she poured every drop of her heart into her lips as she answered the other woman's unspoken confession with her own. **_"I love you too."_**

To be continued. 


	8. Chapter 8

Here is your update and I hope you like it. I have to say this is the most enjoyable chapter I've written. I wrote about an idea I had since I first watched episode 13 so it was fun to make it come to life. Thank you for your reviews…..I mean THANK YOU. I enjoy them very much. I even got someone that wanted to help me proof read which I have to thank properly. (Bows with respect but ends up hitting her forehead on the keyboard.) ouch… well there you go. That as they say is that.

Declaimer: Oh spirit of the legality, hear my prayer and please refrain form smiting me for any unwanted usage of characters that aren't mine.

_**Bold **_are thoughts…_Italics _are enfaces, other languages, and focused speech

Chapter 8

"_**I can make it, just a little bit more." **_The petite girl passed the point of no return and she let go of the bar. High in the air on the practice trapeze, Rosetta was airborne. This was the moment she loved the most. When a person let go on a trapeze this high up, swinging as fast as she did, they enjoyed a brief few seconds of weightlessness before they were forced to obey the laws of gravity. Rosetta couldn't have been happier because it felt like she was flying and to top it off her target was heading straight for her with perfect timing.

"_**I can do this. I know I can" **_

Rosetta closed her eyes and her body coiled back like a snake in midair. When she felt like the moment had arrived, the petite girl sprung forward and did a three pronged vertical spin that spanned no more than two seconds. The redhead came out of her spin with only one arm facing out to catch the bar. A few months ago she wouldn't have been able to grab the incoming bar but her strength training made this stunt possible.

"I did it!" called out Rosetta but her victory cry was premature. Just as the bar came within catching distance…she missed. The failure was like a blow to her stomach. **_"Not again." _**thought the redhead disappointingly as she watched the trapeze bar get farther and farther away.

The girl fell down to the safety net and landed with a bounce. After her body settled into the ropes she looked upwards at the swinging bars and let out a sigh. "Next time for sure."

"Your call that a devil's spiral?" came an irritated voice out of nowhere.

"I almost had it." replied Rosetta without finding out where the voice came from.

The redhead was only met with silence, which suited her just fine as she stared at the ceiling deep in thought. Her musings was interrupted when the safety net began moving. The cause eclipsed her view of the ceiling in the form of black haired Chinese girl with a disappointed look upon her face.

May looked down at the redhead and let out a sigh. "Shouldn't you have gone home by now?"

Rosetta didn't answer, she rolled away from the inquiring girl and jumped down from the safety net. May followed her movements to the bench where the redhead grabbed a bottle of water and refreshed herself. "I just trying to perfect the routine you thought me." said the after she finished her drink.

"Then you have a long ways to go." May jumped off the net to talk to Rosetta on the ground floor. "One." The girl held up her index finger. "Your release was way too early and two." May pointed up her second finger. "Your movements were not wild enough, and three." May held up her third finger. "Why the hell are you practicing when you should be out having fun or going home to see your family?"

Rosetta sat on the bench. "For the first one I had to compensate for my lighter weight than yours, for the second one, my movements were as crazy as it gets and lastly, where do you get off telling me that when your still standing here to scold me when you should be having fun or going home."

"But scolding your is fun and as soon as you get your butt moving I'm heading home as well."

"By all means, don't let me keep you." Rosetta said as she headed for the door with a very persistent May close on her heels.

"You don't have to be bitchy because I'm just trying to look after my partner." For the first time May had a partner she really connected with on stage and the girl was getting irritated that Rosetta was trying to brush off her concern. For the last week the redhead had been acting depressed and the hours she stayed to practice even amazed May who was always known to keep a brutal regimen. "Would you at least tell me what's got you so preoccupied?" Rosetta still didn't say anything and May sighed. "Why do I bother?" said the Chinese girl to herself.

The redhead finally stopped and turned around. "I'm not trying to be mean but its just some personal stuff that's got me under the weather and it doesn't concern you."

May was hurt by the comment but she would never admit it. "Like what?"

"Do you really want to know that bad?"

"Ya."

"Its my mother, she's been cheating on my father."

May didn't know what to say, her curiosity had her wanting to know but she didn't really have any idea what she was going to do with that kind of information. "That's too bad."

May meant that sincerely but the way it came out sounded sarcastic. "See, not your problem." said Rosetta as she turned around and headed for her room.

The oriental girl stood there dumbfounded. She was normally a person who didn't care what other people thought about her but in this instance it really bugged her. "That's what I get for being nosy."

**Boston That Evening**

"_**I wonder what's taking so long?"**_ Sora had been sitting in the doctor's office since they arrived. After a short introduction with Dr. Everett, someone who Sora considered an all business type of woman, the doctor pulled Layla away to start on X-rays. They were gone only a short time but Sora didn't mind. She used these quiet moments to reflect back on the day they spent together. It was the perfect day as far as the brunette was concerned. After they talked in the morning and enjoyed a short but very intimate moment, both girls spent the day like any other young couple. They talked about nothing and everything, Sora would entertain Layla with stuff the blonde missed out at Kaleido Stage and Layla would tell Sora about the Broadway scene in New York. It was more enjoyable than both realized and before they knew it they had to leave for the hospital. It had been an enjoyable day so far. They may have lived together for a brief time but it was always like an impromptu staring contest, unlike this morning, which was spent like good friends.

Sora smiled. **_"More like girlfriends."_**

The door to the office opened and in walked the woozy looking blonde. It was one of the only times Sora had seen Layla without her usual elegant poise. "Are you okay?" asked a concerned Sora.

Layla nodded and sat down in the chair next to the brunette as the doctor retook the seat at her desk. The blonde tried to put up a brave front and attempted to act more stable but Sora saw through it immediately and she didn't waste any time by taking Layla's hand supportingly.

Dr Everett saw the move and smiled. The two girls introduced themselves as colleagues and friends but the intimacy of their relationship was as easy to recognize as night and day. "I'm Sorry if the test were somewhat hard but it was necessary to get all your blood works and shoulder scans. The trioxcilin is probably making you dizzy but it necessary for the treatment."

"I understand doctor, I'm just glad we can get this over with soon."

"Now I need to discuss what we are doing." the doctor reached down and picked up Layla's clip board. "I want to start you on the electrolyte stimulants as soon as possible. They are prepping for the surgery tomorrow which is going to be around six in the evening so I hope you have everything in order for the admittance?"

Layla nodded. "I have everything I need for the stay."

"Good, then we can began immediately and I may be able to bump up the surgery for sooner." Dr. Everett set down the clipboard and looked at the blonde. "There is just one more technicality that needs to be worked out. Our hospital policy only allows for family to visit patients staying in the post ops wing."

It was Sora's turn to speak up this time. "Oh, is it a problem if for me to stay?"

"Are you related to Ms. Hamilton?"

Sora shook her head. "No."

"Then I'm going to say your not allowed to visit Layla once she's admitted." Dr. Everett hated being mean but rules were rules and she always did things by the book.

Layla heard this and her stomach sank. She knew this surgery was dangerous and she would never admit it but the whole thing was terrifying her. So many things could go wrong and the one thing that gave her strength to go through with it was knowing Sora would be there with her. Now she was being told that might not be possible and she couldn't have that. "Are you sure doctor, Sora is not just my friend." To emphasize her point, Layla reached down and covered Sora's hand with her own and gave it a light squeeze.

The move caused Sora to smile shyly. Since they started exploring what it meant to be a couple, the brunette was surprised just how open Layla was being about their relationship.

"I'm sorry Ms. Hamilton but we can't make exceptions for girlfriends."

Sora nodded and turned towards Layla. "Its ok Layla but I'll visit you as much as I…." what ever the smaller girl was going to say was cut off with Layla sudden outburst.

"She's not my girlfriend." Layla didn't know what was compelling her but she needed to have the other girl there when she needed her the most. "She's my fiancée."

"Huh?" said Dr. Everett as she stared at Layla with a incredulous look upon face. "Fiancée?"

Sora was also staring at Layla with a shocked expression. Layla then gave her a covert look that told the brunette to play along. Sora took the hint and looked at Dr. Everett. "It's true, Layla asked me to marry her."

"I asked?" whispered the blonde before she straitened up and stared at Dr. Everett seriously. "That's right, I asked her to marry me and it was very romantic."

"Okay." said Dr. Everett slowly. They were both horrible liars and she wanted to laugh at their efforts but she decided to be lenient for once. "In that case I think I can issue you a badge that will get you pass to the post ops wing."

That made Layla let out a sigh of relief. Sora on the other hand had a million watt smile plastered to her face. "Is it really okay?"

"Fiancées do meet the requirement." Dr. Everett shrugged. "This is Massachusetts after all."

The intercom on the surgeon's desk chose that moment to go off. _"Doctor Everett, we have the X-rays at radiology like you requested_." the doctor nodded and stood up. "If you'll excuse me I'll be right back."

Fool and Passion were sitting on the doctor's desk watching, like always, with amusement. Both girls were still oblivious to each other's guiding spirit but they could each see their own other worldly pests. _"When were you going to let us in on this joyous news." _said the two spirits at the same time.

Both girls rolled their eyes at the same time. When the doctor left the room, Sora turned towards Layla. "Fiancée?"

"I'm sorry Sora, it just kind of popped out of my mouth."

"It okay, just a little strange." Sora couldn't help but laugh nervously.

"I really hope you don't mind. When I heard that you wouldn't be allowed in I kind of said that without thinking, hoping she would let you stay. To be honest I don't know if I can go through with this without having you by my side."

"Of course you can Layla, you can do anything." The brunette believed Layla said lied about being engaged for her benefit. Sora was so excited by the prospect of what the surgery would mean that her heart absolutely sunk when she heard she wouldn't get to be there to cheer Layla on.

"Your wrong Sora." When Layla said this it snapped the smaller girl out of her thoughts and as soon as she got the other girl's full attention, the blonde continued. "I'm not as strong as I make myself out to be. After I found that little girl I used to be deep within my heart I realized that I can't go on living my life without relying on others. This surgery is terrifying me more than anything I have ever faced in my life. Not because it's dangerous but because if it fails I've lost my last chance of returning to Kaleido Stage and at this point in my life I don't think I could live without that."

Sora was surprised by this confession. "Layla?" whispered the smaller girl questioningly.

The blonde shook her head and continued. "That's why I need you here every step of the way Sora. I need your presence to motivate me and above all else I need to have your support."

"You will Layla, believe me when I say that my whole heart is behind you."

"I'm glad." Layla let out sigh of relief while Sora reached out and took her hand.

Fool leaned over and whispered in Passion's ear. "_I never thought I'd say this but I feel like I'm intruding."_

"_Hush you, this is what I live for." _whispered Passion back.

Sora smiled when she saw that Layla relaxed. "Look on the bright side, I'm engaged to the great Layla Hamilton."

Layla let out an uncharacteristic giggle. "What can I say Sora, I had to make you mine."

"That's why when you proposed with those puppy dog eyes I couldn't help but say yes."

"Puppy dog eyes?" Layla laughed even harder. "I have you know I've never used puppy dog eyes in my life."

"I'm sure you have and with those sky blue eyes I bet you could get anything you want."

Layla shrugged. "Your right, I did get you to say yes didn't I."

They both enjoyed the banter but it was cut off by the arrival of Dr. Everett. "I'm sorry if I interrupted anything but here are your test results." the doctor held out a large white envelope. "Lets get down to business shall we." said the woman as she sat down and started explaining the coming procedure.

**Kaleido Stage Dormitory**

Rosetta was doing her dumbbell exercises when there was a knock at her door. She debated on whether of not she should get up to answer it. When the knock sounded again she finally got up to get the door and she wasn't surprised to see who it was. "May?"

The Chinese girl who became Rosetta's mentor stood on the other side of the door nervously. "Hi."

Rosetta wasn't in the mood for company, least of all the girl who didn't know the definition of tact. "It's getting kind of late, can you come back some other time?"

The black haired girl scoffed at the not so subtle hint. "I'm not leaving until you feel better."

"Why do you care all of the sudden?" Rosetta said peevishly.

"I'm trying to be nice so you don't have to be a bitch about it."

"Wow, Is calling me a bitch your idea of making me feel better?"

May's eye twitched in frustration. "Look Rosetta, I've never been good at being chummy but I'm trying my best. The reason I'm doing this is so I can see my partner be her normal optimistic self. All this moping around is even depressing me."

That pushed Rosetta past her limits. "I'm sorry if my bad mood is inconveniencing you." after the redhead said that she grabbed her door to slam it.

"Hey!" called out the oriental girl as she stuck her foot in the doorway, unfortunately for May, Rosetta already proceeded to slam the door catching the taller girl's foot in the process. The next words out of May's mouth was a high pitched wailing. "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh."

Rosetta gasped out in shock. She didn't mean for that to happen and it made her feel like a monster. "Oh god, I'm so sorry."

May stopped her screaming long enough to give Rosetta a death glare. "That hurt dam it!"

"It was an accident, please come in and I'll get you some ice."

The other girl let out a breath to calm her raging temper. "Fine." grunted May as she hopped on one foot into the apartment.

**Boston Regional Medical**

"And that is pretty much what we plan to do." said Dr. Everett as she finished the tour of the post ops wing.

Having already heard what they planed to do in the surgery, Layla was already prepared for what they were going to do. Sora on the other hand was green in the face. "You can't be serious doctor?"

Everett was confused. "About what?"

"You really can't be planning on doing that to Layla."

"It's part of the process."

"But stripping the muscle from the bone and then trying to reattach it like that with the whatever it's called."

"Electrofiber stimulant."

Sora shook her head to get rid of those less than pleasant thoughts. "Yes, that." The brunette realized this operation was more serious than she originally thought. "That sounds so dangerous, are you absolutely sure Layla will be okay?"

Layla stood by quietly throughout Sora's conversation with her doctor. The smaller girl's concern touched her deeply and she couldn't help but smile fondly at the lilac haired woman. "I'll be ok Sora. Dr. Everett is highly qualified and I'm sure everything will be fine."

"Layla is right." assured the doctor. "I know your worried about your fiancée but I've fully prepared for this operation and I'm sure it will be a major success."

Sora blushed at the mention of their little white lie. She might have had her misgivings about this whole thing but she had to have faith. "So what now?"

The doctor turned to Layla. "Now we get you on your meds. If you would follow me, I'll get you set up in your room." They all started walking towards the blonde's assigned room when Layla stopped. "Something wrong?"

"I forgot my bag of stuff I'll need for my hospital stay. I packed it this afternoon but I got distracted and forgot to bring it."

The doctor looked at her watch. "I'm sorry but we need to get you started now."

Sora cut in. "I'll go get it for you Layla."

"Are you sure Sora?"

The brunette laughed lightly. "It's what I'm here for."

"Than you." said Layla as she reached into her purse and produced her hotel and car keys. "Here, take the Mustang."

"_But I don't have a license." _replied Sora out of earshot from the doctor.

Layla leaned over and whispered in the brunette's ear. _"I wont tell anyone if you don't."_

Sora clutched the keys and bowed slightly. "I'll be back as soon as I can, you can count on me."

The doctor interjected. "When you get back you can pick up you badge at the front office."

"Arigato."

"Drive safely Mrs. Hamilton." said the doctor jokingly. She smirked when she saw Sora's face turn a dark shade of red. Everett then turned to Layla, who was doing everything to not make eye contact with her. "Or will it be Mrs. Naegino." This time Dr. Everett laughed when she caused Layla to blush as well.

**Rosetta's Room**

Rosetta returned to the living room with an ice pack. She watched as May carefully inspected her swollen foot. "I'm truly sorry." said the redhead as she handed the oriental girl the cold ice pack.

The taller girl placed the pack on her foot gently, she tried her best not to whimper but for her best efforts a sound akin to a dog's growl escaped from her lips. "If you truly sorry then you can make it up to me by telling me what happened."

"Your not going to let this drop are you?"

May shook her head. "Now tell me."

"As you know my mother is also my agent but I'm not the only client she has. She travels around a lot doing one deal after another for the other people she works for so she rarely ever goes back home. My father on the other hand works for a small firm in France, so at least he's always there when you need him. He's always been a kind man that looked after all of us. Dad was actually the person who bought me my first Diablo. It was only after my mother saw that I had talent did she push me to practice and later do it professionally. My family life early on was not a very good one. Mother and I were always gone and father tried his best to keep in touch." Rosetta smiled sadly. "He is kind of a push over type which always suited my mother because she can be very demanding. I always thought they were happy together but I was wrong."

"What happened?"

"About two weeks ago my father caught my mother cheating on him." The redhead sat down in the chair next to May. "Dad decided to surprise my mother with a visit to her apartment in Paris and that's where he caught her."

"Ouch."

"I know, that's what I said. Mother told me my dad lost it and attacked the man she was with." Rosetta laughed sadly.

"Why is that funny?"

"If you knew my dad you would laugh too. He's a bit on the short side to be picking fights."

"I guess that's where you get that from." joked May.

Rosetta's eyes narrowed. "Are you saying I can't fight?"

May smiled and held up hands in placation. "Easy there tiger, I only meant the shortness."

"Oh." Rosetta sighed. "Sorry, I guess I'm wound up a little tight right now."

"Its understandable."

"I just can't believe my mother did that to him. I never thought she was the kind of person that would do that. It makes me wonder if she's been doing this for a long time."

"So what do they plan to do?"

Rosetta kicked her legs back and forth. "What everyone would expect, their getting a divorce."

May tried to sympathize with Rosetta but it was hard. Her parents would sooner see the world end than get a divorce. "How are you taking it?"

Rosetta looked at May. "Fine."

The oriental girl started to laugh obnoxiously. "Sure you are."

"So I've been a little preoccupied." the redhead shrugged. "It doesn't really affect me so much, I hardly see either of them anyway. I'm really just been pissed at my mother right now."

As if by summons the phone started ringing. It rang several times and Rosetta didn't move an inch to go pick it up. May looked at the other girl strangely. "Aren't you going to pick that up?"

"Why? It's probably just my mother."

When the phone stopped ringing May spoke up again. "That was rude, she's probably just trying to talk it over with you."

"That isn't why she's calling." said Rosetta knowingly.

"Then why?"

"She wants her job back."

May was confused. "Her job?"

Rosetta nodded. "Yep, I fired her."

It all made a lot more sense to the taller girl. "Oh."

Things were quiet between them for several moments before Rosetta started talking again. "Do you think I'm a horrible person for doing that?"

The black haired girl shrugged. "I probably would have done worse. Things will blow over in time."

"Maybe." said Rosetta skeptically.

"Trust me, give yourself a few days away from your thoughts and everything will move on and you'll be back to normal." the redhead nodded in response and May just had an idea. "Your not going anywhere then?"

"Nope, I'm staying here."

"Awful waste of a vacation if you ask me, especially when no one will be around."

"It'll give me a chance to perfect the devil's spiral." said Rosetta as she reached over and poured herself a glass of water from the table pitcher.

"How about going on a trip?"

"Huh?" the red haired girl was curious as to where this was going. "Where to?"

"My house. I've been given hell by my family for not visiting them more often and they made sure that I would come back during the break. To be honest I could use the company. My brothers can be a hand full and it would be nice to have a buffer."

"You really want me to come?"

"Yes." responded May as she pointed to her swollen foot. "It'll give me a chance to sick my brothers on you for hurting my foot."

Rosetta wasn't sure. "I don't think I should…"

May interrupted the petite girl before she could refuse. "You don't have a choice!" Her animated outburst made her accidentally put too much pressure on her foot and she winced. "If you think I'm going to let you mope around here by yourself then your crazy. Maybe if I take in a hard luck case like Sora would then maybe I'll get enough good karma to avoid getting my foot slammed on."

The smaller woman smiled. That was just May's way of saying please and she accepted. "Sure, sounds like fun."

**Layla's Hotel Room**

The light came on in the room and Sora stepped into Layla's bedroom. She was looking for the bag she helped the blonde pack this afternoon and she was trying to remember where they put it. Her search came to an abrupt stop when she spotted something shiny on the vanity counter. Sora reached down and picked up the object in between her nails.

"_**What is this?" **_The metallic object appeared to be a very tiny nail filer. **_"It must belong to Fool but since when does he do his nails?"_**

Sora dropped the mini filer back on the desk and resumed her earlier search. She finally spotted the bag wedged partly under the bed. Sora got down on her knees and pulled out the suitcase. She was about to get back up but then she spotted something white laying under the bed. She debated whether or not she should be snooping around Layla's belongings but curiosity got the better of her. The brunette turned to the side and reached under the bed and grabbed the white object which was also soft to the touch. When Sora pulled it out she saw that it was a old and worn white bunny.

"_**Wow, Layla owns a stuffed animal."**_ Picturing the blonde with the fluffy toy was so amusing she couldn't help but laugh.

"_Shiroi usagi." _said Sora to herself, using the Japanese words for white rabbit. When it came out of her mouth the brunette's earlier mirth disappeared. The toy was very soft to the touch and Sora ran her hands over it lovingly.

"_**I've seen this before but where?"**_ thought the girl as a sense of déjà vu overtook her.

Fool floated above Sora to avoid her attention. He was about to make a snide comment regarding the rabbit but then he remembered where the bunny came from. When Sora stopped laughing he wondered if she remembered as well. **_"To think Layla still had that all this time."_**

**Later at Layla's Hospital Room**

"_Where did I put that dam file." _said Passion as she drummed her fingers on the bedside desk near to where Layla sat with an IV coming out of her right arm.

The doctor was checking the drip to make sure it was coming down at the right levels. "This should do just fine. Make sure you don't move around and dislodge it very much." Dr. Everett noticed that Layla hadn't stopped squirming since she got in the room. "Something wrong?"

"I don't like hospitals very much."

Dr. Everett nodded. "Coming from a healthy person like yourself, I'm not surprised. You probably haven't spent more than a day at a hospital in your life."

Layla winced internally. That wasn't why she hated hospitals. Images of her mother slowly wasting away before her eyes popped into her mind. The blonde tried hard to shut out those unpleasant thoughts.

The doctor was oblivious to the shift in mood but Passion knew right away what Layla was thinking. "_Try to look at this more positively madam. This hospital stay isn't about grief, it's about hope._" Layla nodded her appreciation of Passion's words of encouragement.

Dr. Everett finished her adjustments and stepped back. "My job for the time being is all done. I'll be going, you fiancée should be back any minute now." When the doctor turned around Sora stood at the door with a suitcase and one hand held behind her back. "Speak of the devil. Did the front desk give you any problems?"

Sora shook her head and pointed to the badge that was on her shirt. "This got me through okay."

The doctor started laughing. "I bet it did." said the woman as she headed out of the room.

Layla was curious about Dr. Everett's odd behavior. "What did she find so funny?"

The brunette smirked and walked closer so Layla could see the badge. There on the badge was Sora's picture they took earlier but what caught the blonde's attention was the name inscribed at the bottom of the tag. "Mrs. Hamilton?"

Sora shrugged. "Your doctor has a sense of humor." The brunette put the bag down but kept her other arm behind her back. "Does that hurt?" asked the smaller girl who was referring to the IV coming out of Layla's arm.

"Not really." answered the woman. The blonde finally noticed Sora's concealed arm. "What do you have behind back?"

The lilac haired girl had an impish grin on her face. "Do you mean this?" said Sora as she produced the white rabbit from earlier.

When Layla saw her bunny in Sora's hand her eyes grew twice as large. "My…I…What are you doing with that?" stuttered the blonde as her face turned dark red.

Sora patted the bunny on the head. "You mean this little fellow. I found him all alone under your bed and I thought it would be nice for him to come along and say hi."

"Please Sora, what if people found out."

The brunette laughed. "You tell people I'm your fiancée but you get all flustered over a stuffed bunny rabbit."

Layla crossed her arms over her chest and pretended to mad about Sora's teasing.

Sora held the rabbit in front of her face and started talking in a playful voice. "_Don't be mad at Sora. She's was just worried about me mommy."_ It did the trick and Layla could no long hold her composure. When Layla started laughing, Sora turned the rabbit around and congratulated it for job well done.

"Just put it in the bag before the doctor comes back." said Layla when her giggles stopped.

"Awwww don't you like it?" Sora held out the bunny so Layla could take it.

The blonde sighed and reached out to take the rabbit but as soon as her fingers touched the toy she froze. The brunette also stopped in place. The two girls looked into each other's eyes and both were shocked at just how familiar this whole moment seemed. The blonde was puzzled over this weird feeling. "Why do I feel like this has happened before?"

Sora nodded slowly in agreement. "I know what you mean."

**>>>>>>>>>>>>>>**

Passion and Fool looked at the two woman with knowing looks on their faces. "I think their starting to remember." whispered Fool to the silver haired woman.

The spirit of romance nodded and produced a small glowing crystal. "Very true monsieur but this should help them along."

Fool groaned. "Not again…what's this one do?"

"It's the gem of past sights. This little trinket will unlock old memories." said the woman as she blew softly on the stone.

The rock began to glow and Fool noticed a soft light enveloping the two women. He was waiting for them to become alarmed but they seemed oblivious.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

A strange feeling came over the two women. Their earlier feeling of déjà vu was being multiplied a hundred fold as they stared into each other's eyes. The world that was around them faded and then everything became dimmer like they were falling asleep. Just when everything became out of focus a bright light filled their vision and they were gone.

**Somewhere in the Past**

This was the greatest day of her life. The lights, the sounds, and last but not least the stunts. _"Did you see the way the that woman disappeared into the flower daddy." _said the lilac haired little girl as she twirled around and around to simulate the show they just watched.

The man looked down at his ecstatic daughter and shared a smile with his wife. _"Come now Sora, if you keep doing that your going to get dizzy."_ the warning came too late. Sora came around on her last spin and teetered back and forth until she fell down on her butt. She smiled goofily while her parents shared a warm round of laughter.

Sora's mother reached down and picked her off the floor so she could hold her. _"So I take it you enjoyed yourself?"_

The little girl nodded. _"When I grow up I'm going to be an emertainer too."_

The man walked over and ruffled his daughter's hair. "_That's entertainer Sora, and don't be in such a rush, you have your whole life to choose what you want to be."_

"_Then I want wings so I can fly." _

The mother smiled. _"Of course you do my little angel." _she kissed the girl on her forehead and set her down.

The mother and father both held one of Sora's hands as they walked down the main hallway of Kaleido Stage. They wanted to take Sora somewhere special for her birthday and they were very happy to see their little girl had enjoyed it. From the way their daughter kept bouncing up and down, she obviously enjoyed if very much. When they finally reached the lobby there was a large crowd of kids yelling and screaming at a tanned man dressed up in rabbit costume. The man had a large sack with him and he laughed joyously at the children excitement.

A woman dressed in a glittering gown walked past Sora's father and the little girl gasped out in surprise. She turned and tugged at her mother's sleeve. "_Mommy, look it's the pretty singing lady."_

When the woman in the gown saw the commotion she started laughing as well. "Kalos, stop teasing the kids and give them what they want."

The man in the rabbit costume blew a raspberry at the woman. "Your no fun Sarah."

The woman waved him off and left. Kalos turned to the mass of kids and opened up his bag. Inside was a mass of white rabbit toys that he began throwing into the crowd of cheering children.

Children not part of the screaming masses quickly joined in as soon as they saw what the funny rabbit man was passing out. Sora wasn't an exception. _"Mommy, daddy, I want a white rabbit too."_ said the little girl as she broke away from her parents and took off into the crowd.

"_Sora?" _said the brunette's mother in alarm but her husband put a hand on her shoulder.

"_Let her see if she can get one." _they both smiled and joined the rest of the parents who sat back to watch the circus.

>>>>>>>>>>

Being born premature made Sora short for her age and it put her at a disadvantage when it came to grabbing one of the bunnies. No matter how many times she reached for a rabbit someone would come along and snatch before she could get it. The little girl was near tears as she watched all the other kids grasping their toys happily. The rabbit was the perfect symbol of her happiest day in the whole wide world and she had to get one. Her hopes were starting to fly out the window as the man reached into the sack and pulled out the last one. "I'm sorry kids but this is the only one I have left."

"Usagi!" called out Sora who jumped as high as she could to get the man's attention. "Shiroi usagi!"

Kalos wished he brought more but he didn't account for such a large turnout. The owner of Kaleido Stage sighed and tossed the last rabbit into the crowd.

Sora saw the bunny fly through the air and she pushed with all of her might to get to it. When she saw the toy heading straight for her, the little girl jumped with everything she had. Time seemed to slow down and she watched the spinning rabbit come closer and closer. Her heart sank as she saw another hand reach up for bunny but fate was on her side as the little toy flew into her outstretched hand. Anyone who watched would have been shocked to see such the little girl jump well past her own height but Sora's will pushed her beyond the limits of what was considered normal.

Her jump was so high it beat the other hand that went for the bunny but the problem happened when it was time for Sora to come down. She gasped out in shock as gravity took hold of her and spun her face forward towards the ground. She might have been injured but her fall was broken by the other person that went for the rabbit. They landed in a tumble and Sora accidentally bumped her head against a hard surface that just happened to be the head of the person she was now laying on. Sora got off of the soft surface and rubbed her forehead with the hand that wasn't firmly wrapped around the stuffed animal. When Sora opened her eyes she was staring at a taller girl with bright blue eyes and golden hair. "Gomen nasai." said Sora as she did a little bow.

The blonde stopped rubbing her sore head and looked at the girl who got the rabbit. She tried everything to get one but it just wouldn't happen. The girl nearly cried before she saw the bunny man throw the last one straight for her. Her smile could have lit up the stage when it looked like she was going to get one. When she reached out to receive the small toy a purple mass came out of nowhere and landed right on her. She couldn't contain her disappointment when she opened her eyes and saw a smaller lilac haired girl clutching the little rabbit. The blonde girl looked back to see if the bunny man had another one but he was already gone and all the kids began to disperse clutching their toys happily. It was too much to take and the tears started to fall from her eyes.

Sora watched as the pretty girl started to cry and it worried her that she may have caused it. "Gomen nasai." Sora noticed the little girl was looking at the rabbit and she realized the blonde wanted it too. "Suki desu ka?"

The blonde didn't understand what the smaller girl was saying. "Huh?"

Sora smiled and held out the toy. "Usagi."

The other girl stopped crying and she looked at the little girl strangely. "You want me to have it?"

Sora didn't understand what the blue eyed girl was saying either but she was happy to see the crying stop. "Dozo." said the brunette as she motioned for Layla to take the rabbit.

The blonde wasn't sure at first but she reached out and touched the soft toy, when she was sure that the other girl was giving it to her she took it and hugged it to her chest. "Thank you!" said the little girl with a giant smile.

That smile was worth a gazilion white bunnies as far as Sora was concerned and she laughed happily to see she caused it.

"Layla? Layla?" called out a man who was walking up to the girls with a beautiful blonde woman right behind him. "I was wondering where you ran off to. You had me and you mother worried sick."

"Come now Richard, can't you see she's all right." said the beautiful blonde.

"She shouldn't have run off like that Rola."

The blonde shrugged. "What do you have there Layla?"

The little girl, that looked so much like her mother, held up the white bunny for her to see. "Look I have one, I have one."

"I can see that, it's a very nice looking rabbit by way."

Layla nodded. "This girl gave it to me."

Rola smiled as she leaned down to look at the little girl. "That was very kind of you. May I ask what your name is?"

Sora was getting a little nervous. The brunette would have been even more nervous talking to strangers but she could see the lady had kind eyes.

Layla interrupted her mother. "She doesn't understand because she speaks a weird linguini."

Richard laughed. "That's language. Linguini is what we had for supper last night."

"She speaks Japanese." came a heavily accented voice from an oriental man. Him and another oriental woman walked up and stood next to Sora..

Sora smiled and turned to her parents. "_I got a bunny but I gave it to this girl to make her smile and it worked." _

"_I'm proud of you." _said the man as he turned to American family. "I sorry to have disturbed you but we must be going."

Richard nodded and bent down to whisper in Layla's ear. When he was done he stepped back and watched as Layla did a little bow to Sora. "Domo arigato gozaimasu." said the blonde girl in the best mimic of what her father just told her.

Sora giggled with delight and everyone shared a little laugh. This was the perfect day for all of them, one they would probably remember forever. The Japanese family left soon after and Layla watched the other girl walk away. She owed her little souvenir to the lilac haired girl and she never even got her name.

Rola saw Layla hug the little toy to her chest. "So what are you going to name him?"

The little girl's eyes lit up. "Usagi."

"I think it's a perfect name, just remember to always cherish him."

"I will mommy." said the little girl as she and her parents happily headed out of the Kaleido Stage.

Leaning against a pillar stood a foot long spirit named Fool. He wasn't wearing a mask and his hair was much shorter but it certainly was the spirit of the stage. "Interesting."

"What is?" said a man that looked hauntingly like Yuri.

The spirit hovered over to the man as they made their way out of the Kaleido Stage. "I sensed a powerful presence in those two."

"Who?"

The spirit shrugged. "Doesn't matter, I'm sure fate will take care of them."

"Fool?"

"Yes?"

"If I find you sneaking into the girls dressing room again I'm going to flush you down the toilet."

**Layla's Hospital Room: Present**

When the light faded, Sora and Layla were once again in the hospital room. The force of the vision made them drop the toy and Sora stumble backwards. They were both panting when they regained their all their senses. The brunette was the first one to speak up. "What was that?"

Layla slowly looked at Sora. Her whole her perspective on their relationship changed with the recollection of one tiny memory. "You the one who gave me Usagi."

Sora nodded. "I can't believe your the girl from that day."

"I guess the tryouts wasn't the first time we met."

"I guess not." Sora let out a calming breath. "I can't believe the day that made me become a performer was the very same day I met the woman I fell in love with."

Layla eyes became as wide as saucers. "What did you say?"

Sora realized what she just said and it was too late to take it back. "Oh…I.. What I meant was…"

Layla just sat there dumbfounded. Having those feelings for Sora were something she accepted on her part but hearing the other girl, in her own words, say that she loved her was something completely different. "Sora?"

The brunette sighed. "Yes?"

"Did you mean it." asked the blonde calmly.

Sora figured it was time to be completely honest, both to Layla and to herself. "I meant what I said. I know it's all very sudden but you have to realize that it isn't for me. I've had these feelings for a long time and it was only recently did I realize what they meant. It was love, the once in a lifetime kind of the love that moves your entire being. Having all those feelings are burning me up inside and its too painful to hold back anymore. So what I'm trying to say is…" the brunette paused to summon her courage. "I love you Layla Hamilton."

The sincerity of Sora 's declaration moved her deeply. Her feelings for Sora changed a lot since she met her. At first she was jealous and threatened by her but later the brunette's very presence was the only thing that made her feel excited and alive. Now looking at the woman who stood nervously before her, she couldn't even imagine the brunette not being a part of her life and she really didnt want to.

Layla looked at the smaller girl with moist eyes. "I'm happy Sora."

"Happy?" Sora wasn't expecting that response. She thought that Layla was going to be freak out for sure. "Your not weirded out that I love you?"

"No."

Sora was relieved to know that Layla wasn't freighted by her feelings. "I'm glad you feel that way."

"Sora?"

"Yes?" answered the brunette sheepishly.

"I want you to know that I lo…"

"Layla!" interrupted a man's voice before she could finish.

Both girls turned towards the door and saw Mr. Hamilton standing there. "Father?"

"Is there a reason your in this hospital?"

Sora turned to Layla. "You haven't told him?"

The blonde shook her head. "What are you doing here dad?"

Mr. Hamilton came into the room. "That's what I'm asking."

The brunette saw that things were getting very tense so she attempted to sound cheerful. "Mr. Hamilton we didn't expect to see you here."

Richard noticed the visitor's badge that Sora was wearing when she turned around to greet him. "Oh god!" said the man as he read it.

The brunette saw what he was looking at and she hastily covered it with her hand. "That's not what you think, it was a joke by the doctor."

Mr. Hamilton massaged the bridge of his nose, a habit he picked up when he was trying to control his emotions. "Sora?"

"Yes?"

"Please leave."

Sora and Layla were both shocked by the venomousness of the man's voice. "Father I asked Sora to be here."

"I just want to have a few words with my daughter if that's all right with you?"

Sora bowed slightly. "Of course."

The brunette turned to leave but Layla stopped her. "Sora, I don't want you to leave."

"Its okay Layla, you have a talk with your father. I'll be right back later." Sora walked over and picked up Usagi and placed him on the bed before she turned and left. As she walked towards the door Sora couldn't help but think the man that worried over his daughter back at Kaleido Stage all those years ago, wasn't the same man that stood in the room now.

When Sora was gone Mr. Hamilton stared at his daughter. "I'm putting a stop to this."

To be continued:


	9. Chapter 9

Took longer to update than I would have liked. Stupid School, your a necessary evil. Two more weeks and I'm free to write more than I have been. A word of thanks goes out to my proof reader apprentice celt. You're an angel, not your common variety one, I'm talking about the kick ass kind. The whole package, halo, wings, and a machine gun. Well enough rambling on my part and on with the show. That as they say is that.

_**Bold **_are thoughts. _Italics _are enfaces and flashbacks.

Chapter 9

"Stop what?" asked an alarmed Layla. Her father's tone was one Layla had never been on the receiving end of before. "If this is about the surgery then you have to know I'm going through with this no matter what. My dream is to return to Kaleido Stage and no second rate movie or play is going to change where I really belong." Layla knew her father had other plans for her than Kaleido stage but she had to follow her heart. "There is nothing you can say that can talk me out of this so it's best you don't try."

The sternness in his eyes didn't relent for a second. Finding out about the surgery disappointed him but he figured Layla wasn't ready to move on yet but that was the least of what worried him. "Don't play games with me. If you want to waste your life then that's your choice to make but this has nothing do with that."

The blonde almost cringed, she knew her father would be upset over missing the meeting with Mr. Bracken but yesterday was something she had to do for herself. "If this is about missing the contract signing then I'm sorry but I had other important arrangements I couldn't miss."

"_**Did she really think I didn't notice?" **_Mr. Hamilton's eyes narrowed. "I'm talking about this situation between you and Sora."

"_**Did he overhear us?" **_Layla didn't like where this conversation was heading. She never planned to lie to her father but she wanted to have a more stabilized relationship with Sora before she started telling people. Having her father find out about it now was going to be trouble and she knew it. "What about her?"

Richard heard what Macquarie had told him but he refused to believe what she said off hand. Following the information the maid gave him, Mr. Hamilton tracked down Layla at the hospital and when he came to visit her it was just in time to hear the brunette say she was in love with Layla. It was then he realized that Macquarie was dead on but the part that truly shocked him was when Layla was ready to say those three little words back. "I know you two have a close relationship but I think you've crossed the line."

Her father's words were chilling. This whole time in Boston she honestly believed that she was ready to be open about her feelings but now that she was confronted with the one person she never wanted to disappoint, she was terrified about how he would react. "I don't understand what you mean father. Sora is my partner, if all goes well with the surgery then I'm hoping to star opposite her again."

Richard figured it was time they stopped dancing around the subject. "I'm not blind or deaf Layla. You clearly like her more than a friend unless you are going to tell me you were only humoring her when she said she loved you."

Layla took her time to respond. She could see the anger that burned in his eyes and it hurt her deeply. "This isn't how I wanted you to find out." A hospital room wasn't the ideal place for this conversation but her father needed an explanation. "Things have changed a lot between us."

"**_Oh god I was afraid of this, she has no idea what she's doing. The tabloids alone will ruin everything she has accomplished." _**Mr. Hamilton blew out a sigh of frustration. "Please Layla… please tell me that you don't feel the same way as that woman."

"_**I guess it's best to be honest. I'm sure he'll understand, after all he's always wanted what's best for me and even he can see that's Sora." **_Layla was very quiet before she finally answered her father. "Sora's feelings are……mutual."

The last part was whispered so quietly that Mr. Hamilton had to strain his ears just to hear. "What did you say?"

Some of Layla's nervousness disappeared when she looked directly into her father's eyes. "I love her. I don't know exactly when it happened but these feelings have been inside me for a long time."

Hearing his daughter openly admit what he already figured out was like a blow to his stomach. "How could you do something like this?"

Layla scoffed. "If people could figure out how to control who we fall in love with then this world would be a less confusing place. When it comes to loving Sora, it's possibly the easiest thing I've ever done in my life. I don't think I've met a single person that wasn't drawn to her."

"Enough!" Mr. Hamilton couldn't believe this was his daughter he was talking to. "What happened to Yuri? I thought you liked _him."_

"I may have been close to Yuri a long time ago but it's nothing compared to how I feel about Sora."

"Be that as it may but don't you have any consideration about your career? Dam it Layla, she's a woman." retorted Richard with bitterness.

Layla knew her father was going to have a hard time accepting this but she didn't think he'd act so pigheaded. "I don't care about my career if it's going to cost me Sora and there is nothing wrong with loving a woman. You loved mom didn't you?"

"That's because I'm supposed to." He couldn't believe she was trying to compare the two. "I thought I raised you better. Don't you care at all what people would think?"

"The persons opinion I value the most is the one standing in front of me but it's clear how you feel about it." Layla's voice became very calm. She was looking at her father like she didn't even recognize him.

Mr. Hamilton saw the incredulous look and it angered him that she thought he would act otherwise. "Don't you give me that look young lady. How could you act shocked that I would feel differently about this. This isn't the kind of thing I wished for my daughter to become. Was I the one who caused this?" Mr. Hamilton trailed off and he was almost talking to himself. "Is it because I allowed you to live this entertainer lifestyle? Maybe if I encouraged you to study business like I originally wanted then something like this never would have happened."

"Stop it!" yelled Layla, effectively cutting off her father's rant. "Why are you acting like I'm doing something wrong. This is one of the only things I've ever done that truly feels right and I won't have you condemning me for it. And if you think this has anything to do with show business or the kind of schooling you gave me then you are not as smart as I gave you credit for." The blonde had reached her limit and she finally snapped. She always did everything she could to make her father happy. The one time she needed him to understand her he had to go and say such ignorant things. "I never knew you were so close minded."

Mr. Hamilton was truly shocked. Layla had never yelled at him let alone insult him. "What happened to you? Where is the daughter I raised?"

Layla eyes began to water. "I'm right _here _father, why is all of this so hard for you to understand."

Mr. Hamilton understood perfectly. Layla was too young to really know what she wanted. He tried to convince himself that she was only experimenting or maybe just being led around by Sora who was using their close relationship to confuse her "I understand just fine Layla. I understand you need to end this now before you make the biggest mistake of your life."

Layla clenched her fist and did everything she could to prevent any sudden movements that might jar the IV that was attached to her arm. "The only mistake would have been letting her go. I would probably spend the rest of my life having missed the only chance to live happily ever after with the one person the universe makes just for you."

Mr. Hamilton couldn't believe how ridiculous his daughter was being. "You can't honestly believe that?"

"Before exploring my feelings for Sora I would have been just as skeptical as you are. Now that I'm finally being honest with myself I believe in that……I believe in that very much."

The man shook his head, he didn't want to hear this kind of nonsense. He always wanted the best for Layla and it pained him that she couldn't see the mistake she was making. "You're not thinking very clearly Layla. These kinds of relationships never work out. You're just setting yourself up to get hurt and once people find out your never going to live down that kind of stigma."

"_**Why is he being like this?" **_Her father's refusal to understand hurt her more than she was prepared for.

"That's why I want you to stop this now. You're better off having nothing more to do with that…woman."

"Her name is Sora and I have to find out where this leads me. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't."

Mr. Hamilton donned the hard emotional shell he used when buying out small firms and firing employees. "We'll see about that." He had to be tough for Layla's own good. "If you don't stop seeing that woman I'm cutting you off."

Layla's face reacted like she had been slapped. "Cutting me off?"

"It means if you pursue this I'm going to have nothing more to do with you."

Layla didn't know how to respond but the brunette, that just walked in the door long enough to hear what Mr. Hamilton said, had plenty to say. "How could you say such a thing?"

Richard turned around and glared at the woman who turned his own daughter against him. "You."

"That's right 'me'" Sora crossed her arms across her chest. "How could you say something so hurtful to a daughter that adores you as much as she does."

Mr. Hamilton almost found that laughable. "My daughter has a funny way of showing she loves me. If she truly cared about me she wouldn't have gotten involved with a deviant like you."

Sora wasn't used to being on the receiving end of such spite and she was struck speechless. Layla on the other hand wouldn't stand for that. "How dare you talk to her like that. The only deviant around here is you."

Mr. Hamilton turned back around to face the blonde. "How dare you talk to me this way. Look at you Layla, Your mother would have been ashamed."

If words could hurt then what her father just said inflicted a mortal wound aimed directly at her heart. The shocked expression on Layla's face spoke volumes as tears fell silently from her eyes.

Richard realized just how painful what he said was. It was something that slipped out before he could take it back and now the damage was already done. "Layla I…I didn't mean that." Whatever Mr. Hamilton was going to say was cut off by a loud clapping sound followed by a sharp sting of pain on his left cheek. When he regained his senses, Richard was staring at the face of an enraged Sora. "You slapped me."

"Dam right I slapped you. Do you even know how hurtful what you just said was." There were few times in Sora's life where she lost her temper so completely. She now realized an easy way to piss her off was to hurt the woman she loved.

Layla's father wanted to be furious but one look over Sora's shoulder at his distraught daughter and all that changed. To know he was the cause of that pain was heart wrenching. The last time he'd seen her cry was before her mother died. "I really didn't mean what I said." whispered Mr. Hamilton softly.

Sora took a calming breath to subdue her anger. "For Layla's sake I'm going to believe you but I think it's best if you go."

"But."

"If you don't leave your probably going to say something to make it worse, and I'll probably do something I'm going to regret."

Richard nodded. This wasn't how he wanted any of this to happen. "I think it's best to resolve this when we've all had a chance to calm down." Mr. Hamilton took one last look at his daughter and walked away.

When the man was gone it was just Sora and Layla alone in the room. The brunette wasn't sure how to approach the blonde. Sora believed she was the source of the family feud. After what just transpired, she didn't blame the other girl for not wanting to see her right now. "I'm sorry for hitting your dad." Layla didn't respond, she was too busy staring at the floor with tears silently falling from her eyes. If it wasn't for those tiny drops of water, Sora wouldn't have been able to tell if the other girl was even crying. "If you want me to leave then I will."

Sora's words brought Layla back to reality. She turned her tear stained face towards the brunette and let out a sad laugh. "That's about the last thing I need right now."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>

"Is there something wrong sir?" asked Macquarie as Mr. Hamilton got in the Limousine. She had met her boss's father at the airport with the limo when he first arrived in Boston. As soon as he got in the car he ordered the driver to take them to the hospital as soon as possible. At first Macquarie thought Mr. Hamilton would press for details about Layla's affair but to her surprise he was eerily quiet the whole way to the hospital. It was the same as when they left the place. Mr. Hamilton didn't say two words but unlike last time he was clearly disturbed. Macquarie had no choice but to sit back and let the man brood. Curiosity was beginning to eat her up and she didn't know how much more she could take.

"Can I ask you something Macquarie?" responded Richard who ignored the maid's earlier question.

The woman was just glad to have the oppressive silence broken. "Of course, Sir."

"You've always been with Layla since she was little, correct?"

"Yes."

"Has she always been like that?"

This line of questioning was beginning to make Macquarie nervous. She was hopping to avoid this type of conversation. She knew the man her whole life and she figured he was the type to disapprove of such a thing. That was probably why she felt like a monster about telling Mr. Hamilton about Layla. "Like what Sir?" the maid figured it was best to dance around a subject that hit a little too close to home.

"How long has she felt that way about other women?" The man looked tired as he said this.

"Oh that." Macquarie swallowed and decided to be honest about it. "I don't think I've ever seen her have that kind of interest before."

Mr. Hamilton nodded. "Good, so I'm not the only one who didn't have a clue. I thought I was being a horrible father for not recognizing sooner."

Macquarie watched the man zone out in deep thought. "Mr. Hamilton?"

Richard turned back to the maid. "Yes?"

"I don't think Layla has ever showed any interest in anyone let alone another woman." She didn't know why she decided to talk about this to Layla's father but she meant what she said. That was probably the reason that upset her the most about this whole thing. For as long as Macquarie had been with Layla, her mistress never showed any true attraction to anyone, male or female. It was her secret hope that one day she would be the person that Layla would fall in love with but her plans for the future didn't happen quite like she wanted. It turns out that one devoted maid and dozens of high society suitors couldn't compete on the same level with a spastic Japanese girl who didn't know the meaning of can't. "**_Why did it have to be Sora?"_**

"I figured Layla was just being picky like always." Mr. Hamilton drummed his fingers on the arm rest in frustration. "Why did it have to be Sora?"

"I wish I knew." answered Macquarie quietly.

"Why couldn't it have been Yuri or that young man from Broadway that she co-stared with. People told me they really had chemistry."

"On stage maybe but off stage he was really snaky. Layla did everything in her power to keep from strangling him." Macquarie let out a tiny laugh as she remembered some of their Broadway antics.

"That's not my point. Why couldn't it have been any normal young man. I never thought my own daughter would be a lesbian."

A sour feeling settled in Macquarie's stomach as she listened to Mr. Hamilton's remarks. "It shocked me as well."

Richard leaned back in the seat and let out a sigh. "You've spent most of this time with Layla so how do you feel about it this whole thing."

The maid felt like she was suddenly taking a test she didn't study for. "I disapprove of her choice if that's what you mean."

"No. I meant about her being a lesbian."

Mr. Hamilton was staring directly at Macquarie and it made the sour feeling in her stomach turn into poison. "I think its wrong Sir. I don't know what's gotten into her."

Satisfied by her answer, Mr. Hamilton turned and stared at the passing buildings as the car headed back to the airport. After the fight with his daughter he thought it was best to return to Hamilton Hotel headquarters.

Macquarie looked away from the man in shame. She might have felt like a monster for her actions thus far but after saying what she just did, Macquarie felt like a demon. **_"What am I doing?"_**

Two hours later

"I think its best to sever this nerve first." said Dr. Everett as she pointed at the MRI scan of Layla's shoulder. She was standing in a lab room with two other surgeons that were also operating on Layla.

The doctor on the right shook his head. "Are you sure we should?"

"We have to. That nerve is already dead and it's going to be re-grown so it needs to be…" Dr. Everett paused in her answer as she yawned. "removed."

"Why don't you head out Miranda? If you pull another all-nighter your husband is going to kill you." said the female doctor on the left.

Dr. Everett smiled. "I guess I better leave then." Miranda looked at her watch and noticed it was about two hours since she left Layla's room. "I should check up on the patient before I go."

The female surgeon finished writing her notes and put them in the folder. "I can't believe we are operating on _the _Layla Hamilton."

"I take it you're a fan of her movies then." responded Miranda.

"Yuck…no. I'm not a big fan of her movies. I was talking about her career at Kaleido Stage. She was amazing to watch and the only person more awe inspiring was Sora Naegino."

"You mean Mrs. Hamilton." snickered Dr. Everett.

"Huh?" said both her colleagues, not getting the joke.

Miranda shook her head. "Forget it. So you've seen both Layla and her girlfriend on stage?"

"Wait a minute. Did you say girlfriend?"

"Yes" said the doctor as she nodded. "She is here with Layla and from what I've seen they are pretty intimate."

"Wow, I didn't know they were dating. It makes me appreciate the legendary maneuver even more. Looking back at it now, it all seems very romantic."

Dr. Everett seemed surprised. "You saw the legendary maneuver?"

"Yes." answered the female doctor.

The male doctor smiled and joined in on the conversation. "It was amazing."

"You saw it too?" said Dr. Everett. After hearing so much about it, she wished she could have been there.

The male surgeon nodded but it was the female doctor that answered. "We both went." The two doctors blushed at the memory and Miranda smiled. "My uncle owns a seafood restaurant in Cape Mary and he scored us tickets. I'm so glad he did. That was an event I wouldn't have traded for anything."

"I bet." Dr. Everett sighed. "I should go check on the celebrities before it gets too late." Miranda waved at her colleagues and headed to the door.

"Night Doctor." "See you tomorrow." said the two surgeons as Dr. Everett left the room.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The walk to the post ops wing was silent and uneventful. Dr. Everett was slightly nervous over the operation. It was the first time something like this was ever tried and it made her anxious. **_"Just do your best to give back this girl's wings."_** thought the woman with a smile.

Dr. Everett arrived at the room and she was surprised at the scene that met her eyes. Sora was resting comfortably against the bed's headrest and she was intimately holding Layla in her arms. From all appearances, Layla was sound asleep. When the brunette noticed the doctor she took her hand away from stroking the blonde's hair long enough to give the quiet sign with her finger. "Comfy?" whispered the doctor when she was close enough.

"Layla had a rough time."

The doctor nodded and with professional ease she removed the IV from the blonde woman's arm without disturbing the girls rest. "What happened?"

"Layla's father showed up."

"Was that a problem?"

Sora looked down at the exhausted woman in her lap. "She hadn't told him about us yet. Needless to say it didn't go smoothly."

"Are you guys all right?" Dr. Everett asked, referring to the couple's relationship.

The brunette gently slid out from under Layla and gently placed the girl's head on the pillow. She walked towards the hallway where the doctor joined her. "I've never seen Layla that upset before."

"I take it you guys are a relatively new couple." Sora nodded in agreement. "Water under the bridge. Everything will workout you'll see."

"I believe it will." said the brunette with firm confidence.

"Just a little advice, don't let this distract Layla's focus. She needs to be ready for the surgery and the healing afterwards, so I'm counting on you to cheer her up."

Sora did a little mock salute. "You can count on me doc."

"Good." Dr. Everett wrote down some information on Layla's medical binder and put it back on the holder. "It's getting pretty late, why don't you head out and get some sleep."

"If it's all right with you doctor I'd like to stay here, at least until she wakes up."

It wasn't exactly allowed but Dr. Everett could see Sora's mind was troubled so she decided to cut her a break. "Sure, there are extra blankets and pillows in the cabinet."

"Thank you doctor."

"Take care." said the Miranda as she called it a night and headed out.

Sora walked into the room and gently closed the door. She sat down in the one of the chairs and looked at Layla's face. She could tell the girl was having an intense dream by the way the girl's eyes moved under their lids. The brunette reached out and took the girls hands in her own. "Sorry if I caused you any trouble Layla but I promise I'll make you happy no matter what."

Two hours Prior

"_That's about the last thing I need right now."_

"_Layla I…"_

"_Don't go there Sora. I won't have you blaming yourself. I knew something like this might have happened but I didn't know exactly how I would take it." at this point Layla sniffled and did her best to compose herself. "I guess not very well huh."_

_Sora was beside herself with guilt. "Do you think it would have been better if we never got involved?" _

_When Layla heard that she didn't look sad anymore. Instead the woman had the same fire in her eyes that Sora had come to know so well. "Why would you say that, Sora?" _

"_I only meant if you and I never got together, your dad wouldn't have gone off like that. This probably won't be the last time something like this happens and I don't want to see you get hurt anymore."_

_Layla gave the brunette an incredulous look. "Is that what love means to you? Do you only care for someone until it gets inconvenient?" _

"_Of course not but…"_

"_If that's true then why were you ready to end this at the first sign of trouble? Does love mean that little to you?"_

"_No!" yelled the brunette. If Layla was trying to fire Sora up, it worked. "When I said I love you, I meant it from the bottom of my heart."_

"_If that is true, how would you feel if we ended this right here, right now?"_

_Sora looked at the floor and clenched her fists. She took a breath before she answered straight from the heart. "It would hurt beyond the ability to put into words."_

_Layla put her finger under Sora's chin and lifted her face so she could look the brunette directly in the eyes. "Then how do you think it would make me feel?" Layla slid her hand up and gently caressed the smaller girl's cheek. "When it comes to being hurt, ending what we have together would make the fight with my father pale in comparison." _

"_Then what is it you want from me?" whispered Sora._

"_I need you be the Sora that doesn't know how to quit, the same woman who wouldn't let anything get in the way of her heart." Layla hoped Sora was getting her point. "I don't need a partner who is indecisive Sora." _

"_I'm not indecisive about how I feel for you." Sora understood what Layla was trying to do. Once again the other woman was giving her the resolve to reach for her dream. "I love you."_

_Layla smiled for the first time since her father entered the room. "There you are." said the blonde playfully._

"_Who?"_

"_The girl I fell in love with."_

"_**She said it." **A feeling of euphoria overtook Sora. **"She really does love me."**_

_Layla noticed the brunette's amazed expression and she realized she hadn't given Sora's feelings a clear answer yet. "In case you are still wondering, I love you Sora Nae…" Layla wasn't allowed to finish as the other girl gave her a breath stealing kiss. It took her by surprise, but it was a very welcome surprise after the day she had._

_Doubts, angst, and drama disappeared as they got lost in their kiss. Both girls cut this moment out of time and made it their own. _

Present

Sora blushed fondly at the memory of their little make out session. It was different than any other time they kissed**_. "I guess knowing that you love each other changes everything."_**

_It would have lasted longer than it did but Layla pulled back and yawned. "Sorry." said the blonde when she finished._

"_Am I that bad of a kisser?" joked Sora._

"_Quite the opposite actually. To be honest I am rather impressed."_

_The comment made the brunette giddy. "Then you must be tired."_

_Layla nodded. "The doctor said the meds would make me sleepy. I guess the adrenaline of the fight held off the drossiness until now." _

"_Of all the times."_

_Layla smiled. "As a friend of mine is fond of saying, C'est la vie."_

"_Do you want me to leave?" _

_The blonde shook her head and turned around so Sora was holding her from behind. During their make out session, the smaller girl migrated to the bed where she held Layla lovingly the whole time. Now that the meds were kicking in, Layla didn't want this new kind of comfort to end. "Would you mind if you just held me until I went to sleep?" asked the blonde with uncharacteristic shyness._

"_Baka. Of course not." said Sora as she tightened her hold and leaned Layla into a comfortable position. The brunette considered this kind of intimacy just as exciting as the kissing. As the blonde drifted of to slumber, Sora enjoyed every feel and smell of the woman that was pressed against her. "Sweet dreams."_

_>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>_

Sora reached out and brushed an errant lock from Layla's sleeping face. The woman's beauty sometimes left her in awe. "You're adorable."

"I'd prefer sexy but adorable works." said Layla as she cracked open her eyes.

The brunette eeped in surprise. "How long have you been awake?"

"Since feeling your touch on my hair."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up."

"It's okay, I'm not used to having someone else in the room while I'm sleeping."

"You did all right when you stayed with me."

Layla smiled. "It took awhile before I fell asleep. Most of the time I pretended to be asleep so I could listen to you talk to yourself. I found it an amusing quirk."

Sora looked over at Fool who was fast asleep on the unused heart monitor. "I was actually talking to Fool. Sorry I'm not as crazy as you thought I was."

The blonde's eyes roamed over to where Passion was sound asleep on a pile of gauze. "Talking to spirits…sounds pretty crazy to me."

"I agree."

"_I guess that makes you guys psychotic." _said Passion and Fool at the same time. In perfect synchronization, they rolled away from the talkative girls and attempted to go back to sleep.

Both girls giggled at the same time but neither knew what the other found so funny.

Layla was wondering why Sora was still here. "It's two in the morning. You should go back to the hotel so you can get to sleep."

Sora promptly yawned. "I think I'll do just that."

"Why did you stay here so late?"

"Did you have to ask?" The brunette gave a quick peck to Layla's lips. "You fell asleep in my arms. Let's just say I wasn't in a hurry to go anywhere."

The warmth once again returned to Layla's chest. "So this is what being in love feels like."

"I guess so." Sora couldn't believe how wonderful it all felt. "Everyday seems to get better and better."

Layla smiled warmly. "I agree."

"I guess its time to go. Sleep tight, don't let the…"

"Auditors get you." said Layla sadly.

"Huh?" Sora was pretty sure it was bed bugs not auditors, unless she missed something in English conversation school.

"It was something my father used to say."

"Oh." Sora looked away. "Your dad is a good man. I'm positive he'll come around someday Layla. I know he loves you very much."

"He has a funny way of showing it sometimes." Layla sighed. "He wasn't always like this. I miss the man who used to take me to aerobics training because he enjoyed watching me practice."

"That's was very fatherly of him." responded Sora sympathetically.

"He used to do that kind of stuff all the time. I guess my mother's death changed my father more than I ever realized."

Sora remembered Dr. Everett's earlier advice. "Don't dwell to much, you have to keep you thoughts focused on the surgery."

"I guess your right." Layla finally noticed that her IV was missing from her arm. "The doctor already checked on me?"

"It wasn't too long ago. Everything seemed to go smoothly."

Layla nodded. "I hope the operation is successful."

"I'm sure everything will turn out perfectly. I would have gotten Fool to read your fortune but that would have ended up depressing you."

"I'm glad he's not here then."

Fool rolled over. _"The hell I'm not. I can still read that fortune if you want."_

Sora backed up and covertly snatched Fool out of the air. "I better be going, Night Layla."

"Sora?"

The brunette finally got the squirming Fool under control. "Yes?"

"I love you."

Sora smiled. "I love you too."

"_**I like the sound of that." **_thought both women as they parted ways.

Te be continued.


	10. Chapter 10

Arggg. Finally the sweet sweet freedom of summer. Finals, annoying professors, and friends graduations are all over and done with. Now I'm back to my first love……no not big game hunting in Siberia…WRITING dam it. I hope you guys don't think I bailed on the story. Never! I not a quitter…maybe that's why I awoke this morning with a monster hangover. Oh well forget about that. This is just a mini update teaser with the sole intention of telling you the updates will be returning promptly. Thank you everyone for reading thus far. You make me so happy I can cry. Which I wont because I haven't cried since my car broke down on Interstate 90. From that day forward, I vowed to never cry again. (Starts to cry) Crap! Oh well. On with the show. That as they say is that.

Disclaimer Blah Blah Blah, up yours lawyers. You'll never find me because my internet connection is routed through Santa's workshop.

Chapter 10

"**_I can't believe I'm late." _**No matter how fast Sora tried to run it just didn't feel like she was moving. The hospital was quiet and empty and the only thing the brunette could hear was her own breathing. She remembered what her destination looked like and she even remembered how to get there, but everywhere she turned the hallways changed. "This can't be happening."

Sora stopped her futile trek to catch her breath when she realized that she didn't even feel winded. She might not have felt any exertion, but what she did have an abundance of was despair. "**_I'm lost."_**

Just when her hopes began dwindling, Sora looked up and gasped in surprise. Layla's room was right in front of her. **_"I finally made it."_**

The girl didn't waste anytime as she swung the door open and called out the blonde's name. "Layla?"

The room wasn't occupied by the person she was searching for. Rather it was full of doctors mingling about the room in their white coats, mumbling to themselves. "Where is Layla?" called out Sora to the almost zombie like doctors. They went about their mindless murmurings and not one of them seemed to notice the brunette. "Why won't you answer me? Where's Layla and what happened?"

"**_Something is wrong." _**Sora's earlier despair had returned ten fold. She ran up to the closest doctor and tried to get his attention by shaking him but he stared off into space with blank eyes. The brunette sighed in frustration and attempted to get another doctor's attention but she didn't have anymore luck than the last one.

"What's going on!" screamed out Sora. Just then a woman in a white coat walked by and finally Sora saw a familiar face. "Dr. Everett it's me Sora."

The brunette tried to approach her but the other doctors formed a human wall around her. "What is this, get out of my way." demanded the now frustrated girl. The blank faces didn't flinch nor did they move.

Sora tried to nudge her way through but their arms came up and pushed her back. She didn't take their obstruction kindly and the brunette was starting to get angry. "I've had enough of this."

Sora backed up and did a running charge. At the last second when the arms came up to intercept her, she flipped high in the air and landed on the other side. Sora turned around as fast as she could and prepared to defend herself if need be, but the room that was once filled with zombie like doctors…was empty. **_"What's going on here?"_**

Sora remembered Dr. Everett quickly turned back around and sighed in relief. The doctor was still there. "What happened? Where is Layla?"

The surgeon had her back to the brunette and Sora didn't know if the other woman had heard her. "Where is Layla?" demanded Sora as she grabbed Dr. Everett's shoulder and turned the woman around to face her. The doctor's face was streaked with tears and Sora took a step back in surprise. **_"Oh no."_**

Fear overtook the brunette as her mind filled with worse case scenarios. She did her best to shake off the unpleasant thoughts. Sora had to know for sure before she started jumping to conclusions. "Tell me what happened."

Finally Miranda's eyes showed some recognition. "Sora?" whispered the doctor.

"That's right. It's me Sora."

"Sora I…"

The brunette's heart beat was pounding in her chest. "What is it?"

"I'm so sorry."

"**_No it can't be." _**Those were words Sora never wanted to hear from a doctor. She closed her eyes and it felt like there was a weight on her chest. **_"Please just focus, Layla can't be…"_**

The brunette's despair brought her to her knees. She had tears that wanted to fall but her eyes were as dry as a desert.

"I refuse to believe this." whispered the Kaleido star as she got a hold of her emotions and pushed herself off the floor, or what she thought was a floor. **_"Grass?" _**

The girl took in her surroundings. She was no longer standing in the hospital room, rather she was now in the middle of the Cape Mary city park. **_"How did I get here?"_**

It was getting dark and she noticed it was the time of the day when the sun surrendered to the moon. **_"This can't be real."_**

Her steps were tentative at first. She was disoriented even though she must have visited this park nearly a dozen times. The chill in the air made her hug her arms to her chest. Sora decided it was for the best that she find a payphone as soon as possible. Forcing herself to walk was a challenge at this point. The worry over her love's fate was draining her strength. A sting of cold air assaulted the left side of her face and she turned to avoid the icy wind. That was when Sora caught sight of a golden haired woman, sitting with her back towards the brunette, on a distant bench.

The small flicker of hope in Sora's heart told her it was Layla, but upon closer inspection the woman had much longer hair than the blonde's current length. However that didn't stop Sora from approaching the only other person in the darkening park. When she finally got to the bench, the brunette walked around to see who it was and that's when she saw the greatest sight for her in all the world. "Layla?"

A pair of blue eyes fixed upon the surprised girl. "Late as always Sora."

"**_It really is her." _**The Kaleido star nearly fainted with relief. "Layla." cried out Sora as she fell onto the bench and hugged Layla with all of her strength. She thought having Layla in her arms would have brought her some comfort but something was wrong. For one thing the blonde didn't hug her back.

"Layla?" questioned Sora as she pulled back from the other girl. The former Kaleido star seemed indifferent to Sora's presence. It was much like the demeanor of the girl who used to hold Sora in contempt, and it was nothing like the warm and loving Layla from the night before. "What's wrong?"

"We need to talk Sora." answered the blonde without emotion.

The hope upon seeing Layla was slowly beginning to fade. "W...w..what is it?"

"The surgery didn't end like we hoped."

The Kaleido star gasped in shock. Layla was wearing a spaghetti strap dress this whole time and Sora could see that her shoulder was perfectly fine. However it appeared to be horribly scarred now. "**_That wasn't there before."_**

"I think I made a mistake about the surgery." continued the blonde.

"**_I'm so sorry Layla." _**Sora was too stunned to answer the other woman.

"I also think I made a mistake about you."

The brunette finally found her voice. "What are you saying?"

Layla didn't answer right away.

The weight on Sora's chest returned. **_"It's so heavy." _**

"I'm sorry that I ever met you."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Sora's eyes snapped wide open. For the briefest of moments she didn't know where she was. Gone was the dark forest only to be replaced by a sun lit room. The brunette attempted to control her breathing as she scanned her environment. To her relief, she noticed she was still in the hotel suite.

"Thank god it was just a dream." Dream or not, it was very unsettling. Sora counted herself lucky that with each passing minute her dream became more and more vague. **_"If it was only a dream, why does my chest still feel so heavy?"_**

That was when she heard the sound of light snoring. "**_That better not be what I think it is."_**

To confirm her fears, Sora slowly lifted her head and peered down at the unconscious form of her guiding spirit. It wasn't rare for her to wake up with Fool sleeping on top of her, but the little man was currently sleeping quite soundly between her breasts. Words failed to describe just how rude this awaking was. The brunette's eyes twitched as her temper began to hit critical mass. **_"Why you little."_**

Sensing someone was watching him, Fool slowly regained consciousness. When he opened his eyes he caught sight of the fully awake Sora. "Do you have a good sleep? I know I did."

To be continued...dun dun dunnnnnnnnnnn ------(Mystery movie to be continue theme)


	11. Chapter 11

For all those who read and review. I have to say arigato, ca'm o n, danke, do jeh, gracias, grazie, merci, obrigado, spasibo, tack, tak, xie xie, andto cover America, Austraila, Canada, England, the moon, and someday Mars….…Thank you. Now that my ass kissing is over with…forget that, just one more. A big thanks goes out to the fantacular Celt who proofreads this stuff to make it easier for you guys to read. Now on with the show and be sure to read comment on the end.

Disclaimer. My lawyer has instructed me to say that Kaleido Star and all of its characters belong to people that are not me.

**_Bold _**are thoughts and _Italics _are enfaces, flashbacks, and stuff spirits say when other people can't hear them.

Chapter 11

"This is a bad dream come true. I really am late." said Sora as she went about the room getting dressed for the hospital.

Fool tried in vain to burn a hole in Sora's head with his death glare. He was completely soaked form head to toe. "Excuse me for not caring right now."

The brunette stopped long enough to once again laugh at Fool. "You brought it upon yourself."

"That was perhaps the rudest thing that has ever happened to me, which is surprising because I've been with you for nearly two years."

"Cheer up you baby. It was only a swirly."

Fool scoffed. "I'm only a foot tall, to me it was it was more like a whirlpool into the depths of hell."

The brunette barely heard Fool because she was looking for an errant shoe under the bed. "You shouldn't have done what you did."

The spirit shrugged. "I was restlessly sleeping on the cabinet when I accidentally rolled off onto you in the middle of night. Surely you can't fault me for something like that."

Sora's unamused face appeared out from under the bed. "The desk is on the other side of the room."

Fool smiled guiltily. "Whoopsee."

"Oh well. I don't have time to humor you any more." The brunette grabbed the shoes she managed to recover and put them on. "Layla is scheduled for surgery in about forty minutes. She may already be in under if they bumped up the time."

"That's what you get for oversleeping."

Sora sighed. **_"I could have done just fine without that dream." _**

The now mysteriously dry Fool floated over to Sora. "Stop lollygagging and hurry."

"How did you get so dry that fast?"

"Focus on the task at hand dear Sora." A flash of light and a floating ring of tarot cards appeared around Fool. He waited for the right time and then he reached out and chose one.

Sora groaned. "Is that necessary?"

The spirit's one visible eye looked at the card in his hand. "I would say so." said Fool as he flipped it over so Sora could see. The picture displayed a series of glowing gems, encircling a bright blue ball. "The world card."

"Which means?" The card looked harmless enough but she could never tell. Knowing Fool's record it could mean an unspeakable horror was about to befall her.

"The world card is the symbol of balance. It foretells the incomplete, will soon become whole again."

"Wait!" called out the surprised Kaleido star. "Does that mean the surgery will be a success?"

"I'm not sure but it's possible."

"Are you certain?"

A wave of Fool's hand and the cards disappeared. "Nothing is certain."

Sora shrugged. "At least it was somewhat positive this time." Now that the girl was finished dressing, she hurried to the door with Fool close behind. "We needed to leave thirty minutes ago."

"Then you shouldn't have wasted all that time torturing me."

As they headed to the elevator, Sora smirked at Fool. "Somehow I think Layla would understand."

"You two have a knack for inflicting pain on other worldly creatures. You should have been born as demon hunters."

"Ha. I just don't see myself decked out in leather wielding a sword that substitutes as a cross." Sora snickered as she got in the elevator **_"I could see Layla doing that. Hmmmm."_**

Fool was waiting for Sora to hit the elevator button but the girl had zoned out. The spirit waved his hand in front of the blushing girl's face with no effect. The little man cleared his throat and tried his spot on impersonation of Kalos. "Sora you're on in ten minutes."

Sora shook her head and snapped out of her impromptu fantasy. "What…show?…Where?" Noticing where she was, the girl laughed nervously and hit the bottom floor button. "Gomen nasai."

"This naughty Sora is quite becoming." said Fool with a smirk.

"Hush now. We need to focus on getting to the hospital on time."

The spirit nodded. "It's for the best. Layla is probably so nervous she's driving Passion crazy."

"Huh?"

Fool realized his little slip up. "Oh, I meant her passions are driving her crazy."

The brunette shrugged it off. "You're confusing sometimes, check that, you are confusing all the time Fool. Besides, I don't think Layla is that nervous right now. She's probably cool and collective like she always is when she's doing something important."

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Passion sighed. **_"Why did I have to get the monosyllabic girl." _**The spirit had been trying for the last two hours to get the blonde to engage her in conversation but Passion was lucky to get more than two word sentences.

Layla was sitting on her room's bed, already wearing her hospital gown. She was starring off into space and chewing on her left thumbnail.

"That's a bad habit you know." admonished the spirit.

"What is?" responded the blonde in a fashion that told Passion she wasn't really paying attention.

"Chewing on your nails."

"I'm not."

"Yes you are."

Finally snapping out of her thoughts, Layla noticed that she really was chewing her nails. "That's interesting."

"What is?" questioned Passion. She was eager to have some semblance of a conversation. She was literally bored crazy.

"Chewing on my nails." Layla folded her arms and sighed. "I haven't done that since I was a little girl."

"It's understandable. Habitual action such as those, are common relapses for people who are very nervous."

Layla scoffed. "I'm not nervous."

"You may be good at acrobatics, theater, movies, and business but what you plain suck at…is lying."

The blonde stubbornly gave in. "Fine, I'm a little nervous."

The spirit of romance smiled knowingly and floated over to Layla. "You seem pretty calm when a certain lilac haired co-star is around." said Passion teasingly.

For the first time since she awoke in the cold hospital room, Layla smiled. "Strangely enough when Sora is around, I feel like anything is possible. When things feel that certain, it's pointless to worry."

"Then worry not. I know she will be here shortly."

Layla merely nodded. They sat in the quiet for several moments and the blonde did everything to keep from appearing weak in front of the way to observant spirit. When the spirit of romance first came into her life, she was annoyed at Passion's constant presence. However lately she was getting more used to the other woman. Even though the sliver haired woman's constant questions were tiring, they did wonders to slice away at the monotony of being alone with her thoughts. "How long have you been a spirit of romance?"

Passion, who was once again getting bored at the room's silence, nearly lost focus and fell out of the air when Layla asked her a question. "Wait, you're actually curious about my work?" The spirit reached up and wiped away a mock tear. "I never thought this day would come. I'm so truly happy."

Not one to be mocked for her genuine curiosity, Layla turned way from Passion. "Forget I asked."

"No!" yelled Passion. She quick to make amends if it would lead to some kind of conversation, and if it was conversation centered around herself, then all the better. "My apologies madam, I was only teasing. If you want to know how long I've had this job it's been …" The spirit stopped in mid sentence and counted off on her fingers silently before she continued. "Since the 80's"

Layla looked back at the spirit. "You have only been the spirit of romance for twenty-six years?" The blonde had thought the silver haired woman had more credentials than that.

"Twenty-six year?" said a startled Passion. She looked at Layla with a curious expression before she broke out in laughter.

"What's so funny? I'm the one that should be laughing."

The little woman calmed her mirth somewhat before she continued. "I didn't mean the 1980's, I meant 80 BC."

"Oh." responded Layla. She now felt really stupid and it was a feeling she despised. "How was I supposed to tell the difference?"

Passion smiled. "Sorry for the confusion but as you can see I'm highly qualified."

"I have to admit I'm a little impressed." said Layla as she smirked.

The sliver haired woman's eyes narrowed as she saw the impish smile. "What are you grinning for?"

"I guess that would make you more than two-thousand years old. I was thinking of calling you granny but great great great great great great granny would still be an immense understatement."

"**_Dam you!" _**thought the infuriated spirit. "Touché, I played right into that one but I have you know I'm as beautiful as I was the first day fate created me."

"So you've always looked like that? I'm so sorry for you." said Layla as she mocked being shocked.

"Hey! What does that supposed to mean?"

Layla shrugged and smiled. She felt much better thanks to Passion. It's been awhile since she was able to unleash her cruelness and she admitted it felt pretty good. It only lasted for a minute or two before that little voice in her head told her she was being mean and she should apologize. **_"Odd how that voice now sounds like Sora." _**Layla's smile only deepened at the thought. **_"Amazing how being in love changes a person."_**

Passion turned away from Layla and crossed her arms. She had to do it quickly or she would ruin the guise of being upset. One of her unique powers as the spirit of the romance was to hear the surface thoughts that concerned the person her charge was in love with. Up until now she couldn't hear anything from Layla, and she was a little worried that Layla wasn't opening up her heart like she should have been. However, just now her charge's thoughts registered loud and clear and it made Passion giddy with excitement. **_"Layla is finally at that level." _**

"I'm sorry, I was only kidding." said Layla who received no response from the spirit. The blonde figured the spirit was genuinely upset. She couldn't have known Passion simply zoned out in thought.

The spirit was sitting on the edge of the bed contemplating her next move when her field of vision was filled with a hand walking on its index and middle finger. Passion cocked her head in curiosity as she watched Layla use her hand to simulate a person. The hand person walked up to Passion regally, as regal as a hand could simulate, and did a bow. "My my, who might you be."

"I'm a representative from Layla Hamilton." said Layla in a squeaky voice. It was so poor an attempt on Layla's part at making a voice, it probably would have made Fool cry. "Her majesty kindly asks for your forgiveness in case she insulted you."

Passion was willing to play along. Layla was showing an incredible amount of playfulness and the silver haired woman didn't want to ruin it. "Why does her royal highness not apologize for herself."

"Her majesty is rarely wrong so making an apology is hardly her strong point."

"Rarely wrong?" mocked Passion as she started laughing. "Now that was funny."

Layla's hand flicked the spirit before it returned back to humanoid form.

"Owww. What was that for?" said Passion as she rubbed the top of her sore head.

"No one insults her majesty."

The spirit turned away from the hand and looked at Layla. "And you call yourself an actress."

"I never said I was an actress." responded Layla as she returned her hand to her lap. "I'm an acrobatic performer." Saying this was a reminder of why she was sitting in a hospital bed in the first place. Layla enjoyed the slight reprieve from her worries but now they came back and were stronger than ever. "**_I hope I can perform again with Sora. If I can't I don't know what I'll do."_**

Passion nodded as she heard the woman thoughts. "I might not be privy to the future like Fool but I'm sure if you have faith, things will work out."

Layla, somewhat alarmed that Passion could read her so well, nodded in thanks. The room once again returned to the earlier state of quiet as the two sat there and waited. "Where is she?" mumbled Layla to herself. The door to the hospital room opened and the blonde quickly looked up hopping it was Sora but to her dismay, it turned out to be Dr. Everett. "Oh it's you."

"Ouch." said Miranda playfully. "I'm sorry to disappoint you but its just little ole me." The surgeon walked over and stood before the blonde. "I take it Mrs. Hamilton didn't show up."

Layla nodded in confirmation but cut right to the point. "Is it time?" There was only one reason the doctor would be here.

"Yes." replied the doctor professionally. She opened up her clipboard to check over some last minute details. "I wanted to give you the heads up and tell you the surgery was going to begin in fifteen minutes. If you need to make any last minute calls, feel free to do it now."

"I understand."

Layla's outward appearance seemed cool and collective, but this was one of many surgeries she'd gone through. Miranda could tell the other woman was freaked. "Show time Layla. I'm sure you'll make another perfect performance."

"_Everything is riding on the success of this surgery." _said Passion. _"I don't envy you." _

Layla glared at the spirit. "You're not helping."

Miranda thought Layla was talking to her and was taken aback. "Excuse me, I thought that was my job."

"Huh." Layla realized her slip up and shook her head. "I wasn't talking to you I was…" The blonde looked down at the smirking Passion. "Talking to myself."

"Oh." responded the woman as she laughed. "I'll leave you be while I go get prepared. A nurse will come back later and get you when it's time to go. Next time we meet it'll be in the operation room."

Layla nodded and Miranda left the room. "Don't do things like that." said the blonde to the spirit. "You get me embarrassed."

"You're the psycho who's talking to imaginary sprits, not me."

"Ha." deadpanned the blonde. "Very funny."

>>>>>>>>>>>>

"**_She is a strange one." _**thought Dr. Everett. The surgeon was walking to her office when she came around the corner and spotted Sora talking to the wall.

"I can't believe you threw a rock at that pigeon. The cop thought I did it and nearly arrested me for damaging hospital property."

"_I'm telling you that pigeon was sent by a demon of some sort. It was the same one from the other day, I'm sure of it" _Fool crossed his arms. He refused to apologize for his actions.

"Maybe it was sent by an angel to punish you."

The spirit scoffed. _"Humph…rats with wings are what they are."_

"Am I interrupting something." asked Miranda worriedly.

"Eeeek." jumped Sora. "You scared me."

"Is everything all right Ms. Naegino?"

"Oh, I was just talking to…" Sora looked over at the smirking Fool and sighed. "Myself."

"Okay." said the doctor slowly. "Well I'm about ready to head off and get the surgery team prepped." Miranda looked at her watch. "It'll start in about twelve minutes. You should hurry and see Layla while you still can."

"Only twelve minutes!" Sora nearly yelled. The Kaleido star turned to the spirit of the stage. "See how much time you wasted Fool."

The girl's outburst alarmed the doctor. "Excuse me?"

Realizing just how crazy she looked, Sora sheepishly looked back to Miranda with a red face. "Eh…I was talking to…"

"Yourself." finished the doctor with a smile.

"Exactly."

"I'll leave you be then."

"Of course." Sora turned around as fast as she could to leave but stopped herself. "Oh Dr. Everett?"

"Yes?"

"Good luck and _please_ take care of Layla." Sora paused a second before she continued. "Give her back her wings."

Miranda made it a personal policy never to give guarantees but just this once…"I promise."

"Gomen nasai." said Sora as she took off for Layla's room.

Miranda shook her head and smiled. "**_Talking to herself huh…those two are definitely made for one another."_**

To be continued. This chapter is nowhere near as long as you readers might have liked but that was part of the master plan.I cut things off while it was still light hearted and you'll see what I'm talking about after next update. mauhahah (Evil laugh).


	12. Chapter 12

Nope this isn't a drill, its update time. Hmmm…Where to begin?…Oh yes! Thank you everyone who read and reviewed. I can't truly express how happy that makes me. It's been awhile since I updated but I wont disappoint you, this suckers long. A big round of applause goes out to Master Celt for proofing this bad puppy. If she didn't, it would take you guys double the time to read it because the mistakes would have you saying. "That doesn't make any freaking sense." Well enough with my yapping and on with the show. That as they say is that.

Disclaimer. No typer monkeys were harmed in the making of this chapter. I did it all myself and now it's time to ice down the fingers.

**_Bold _**are thoughts and _Italics _are enfaces, flashbacks, phone calls, and spirit talk for one person.

**Chapter 12**

"_When do you want it taken care of?"_

Layla checked the time on the cell phone before she answered. "As soon as you can would be nice. I don't know the next time Sora will head back to the hotel but I want it to be a pleasant surprise when she does."

"_I will do as you wish."_

"I'm happy you were still at the hotel. It may be selfish of me but I'm glad your there when I need you the most."

"_I understand mistress." _responded the woman on the other end. _"Serving you is my job."_

"Did you understand what you need to do?" asked the blonde. She waited for an answer but she didn't receive one right away. "Macquarie?"

"_I'll have them delivered to Sora's hotel room as soon as possible." _confirmed the maid unenthusiastically.

Layla felt better after that was taken care of. "I appreciate this Macquarie."

"_Mistress?" _

"Yes?"

The maid sighed through the phone. _"Never mind, I'll take care of everything as requested."_

"**_Macquarie is acting kind of strange." _**mused the former Kaleido star.**_ "I wonder what's wrong."_** Before Layla had a chance to ask, her conversation was interrupted by the sound of a woman's voice.

"Hi."

The blonde girl let out a startled yelp. Layla wasn't one to be surprised easily but when Sora suddenly appeared behind her she nearly dropped her phone.

The brunette smiled goofily. "Sorry for scaring you like that."

"_Mistress?" _Macquarie's voice came through the phone. She heard her mistress's gasp of surprise and she wondered if anything was wrong. _"Layla?"_

After recovering from her embarrassing display, Layla quickly put the cell phone to her ear. "Bye." was all she said before she hung up. When the taller girl finally set the phone down, she turned to the woman she was pining for all morning. "Sora"

"That's me." said the Kaleido star sheepishly.

To say Layla was relieved to see Sora was an understatement. "I'm so glad you're finally here." The blonde let out a sigh of relief as she stared at the beautiful oriental. "Where were you? The surgery is about to start soon."

"It's kind of a lame excuse but I overslept." answered the smaller girl. She truly felt horrible for being so late on such an important day. "It took me awhile to pass out last night. On top of that I didn't have the best night of sleep." Sora suddenly recalled the unpleasant dream and it gave her the chills.

Layla could see Sora was upset over something and it caused a ping of guilt to poke her in the stomach. "It's fine Sora. I didn't mean to upset you."

"Huh?" responded the brunette in a detached manner. Sora shook her head to clear the cobwebs before she explained. "No it was just some stupid nightmare. I guess I've been a little worried over the surgery."

"You've been worried?" said Layla as she crossed her arms. "I've been a nervous wreck all morning."

Sora found that hard to believe. "You?"

"Yes me." Layla smiled. "Is it so hard to believe I get just as nervous as everyone else?"

The brunette shrugged. "Truthfully…then yes."

"Well maybe that's what I want people to think." said Layla as she leaned against the bed and cocked her head a little to the side.

Sora joined Layla by leaning against the bed as well. The way the blonde was looking at her with her head tilted like that was very adorable in Sora's opinion. **_"If I only had a camera." _**mused the brunette. "So why, tell me."

"Why do you think?" answered Layla with a giggle. The very girlish sound caught the blonde by surprise and she put her hand over her mouth to cover it up.

A familiar warmth spread throughout Sora. Those uncontrollable times when something deep inside Layla bubbled to the surface, were the moments she treasured the most. "You're adorable, you know that right?"

Layla's first instinct was to think the smaller girl was teasing but after looking in the other woman's eyes she could tell Sora meant it from the heart. "I guess, if you can't be honest with the person you love then why bother."

"I agree." whispered Sora as she stepped forward and put her arms around Layla's neck. "I know I missed out on most of the morning but do you mind if I make up for lost time?"

Layla answered Sora by pulling the smaller girl close for a very passionate kiss.

At first Sora was taken off guard by the other woman's intensity but she soon closed her eyes and melted into the soft embrace. The brunette felt Layla's arms wrap around her waste where the other girl's hands rested on the small of her back. It was all so intense Sora couldn't help but moan in pleasure. **_"God how I hope this isn't a dream."_**

"**_This has got be a dream." _**thought Layla as she felt the other woman moan through their intertwined lips. **_"Never in a million years did I think it would feel this good." _**

>>>>

Fool and Passion left the girls to their own devices as they floated out of earshot on the other side of the room. "Would you look at that." uttered Passion quite contently. "Didn't know Layla had it in her." The silver haired woman didn't receive a response right away so she turned to her drooling partner. **_"Why does that not surprise me." _**Passion sighed. "Oh grow up."

Forcing himself to stop the ogling, Fool turned to the pestering woman. "Would you just let me enjoy the fruits of our labor. Oh, in case you forgot, I'm more than a hundred years older than you are."

"Act it."

"Don't wanna." mocked the man as he stuck his tongue out at Passion.

The silver haired woman had some choice words waiting at the edge of her lips but whatever she was going to say was cut off by the sound of very feminine moans emanating from their charges. When the spirits looked at the two women, the girls make out session had kicked up a notch.

As much as Fool was enjoying himself, he was also was aware of the surrounding. The last thing he wanted for them was to get caught in an embarrassing situation. Probably because Sora would take out her frustration on him. "Do you think we should break it up?"

"Hell no!" responded the silver haired spirit. "This is the good part."

The man laughed. "Grow up."

"Don't wanna." returned Passion in the same fashion as Fool's earlier response.

"Fine." said the spirit of the stage as he sighed. "Shame we don't have any popcorn."

Their show ended when Sora and Layla stepped away from each other.

>>>>

"**_Wow!" _**thought Sora as she pulled back from Layla. Turning sideways, she discreetly wiped away some moisture from the corner of her mouth. "Sorry, I got a little carried away."

"Did it seem like I was complaining." whispered Layla. There were few times in her life where passion got the better of her and she realized that most of them occurred when a certain Japanese woman was involved. "**_She really is a good kisser. I wonder what else she is good at." _**Layla bit her lip to bring her back to reality but it only made it worse. She could still taste some of Sora's strawberry lip balm and it caused her to blush. "I guess today is the day." said the blonde as she attempted to change the subject.

"In a few minutes too."

"Yeah." said Layla as she back stepped and sat down on her bed. She motioned for Sora to follow her by patting the mattress near her.

The brunette smiled and took the hint. She walked over and sat down with her hands in her lap.

For Layla that wasn't close enough so she reached out and took her partner's hand. Sora faced her with a warm look on her face and Layla smiled back. A minute or two passed companionably before Layla broke the silence. "If all goes well…"

"Which it will." interrupted Sora enthusiastically.

"**_This is exactly what I need." _**thoughtLayla as she nodded. "_When _my surgery is done I hope I can achieve the level where we can be equal partners on the stage."

"I don't know about that Layla. We were never equal on the stage." Deep down Sora believed if Layla never hurt her shoulder, she would be the true Kaleido star not her.

"That's probably true Sora." The blonde gently squeezed the smaller girl's hand. "But not how you think."

"Huh?"

"You always had something I didn't. Just looking at the crowds faces made me realize that."

The brunette shook her head. "You're wrong Layla. When you got up on stage you were amazing. The skill in which you did every stunt was simply magic."

Layla could see Sora wasn't getting her point. "I know I have the skill to perform but that wasn't what I was talking about."

The brunette was confused. "Then what?"

"You have the ability to make the crowd part of the show. Seeing you up there, doing your routine, made the audience feel like they were doing it too. I don't know how you did it but you drew the audience in with you and made the show truly come to life. Part of the reason I loved performing with you was because I could be part of the feeling you gave to the audience. It was like an applause of a million people it was so exciting..." Layla's voice trailed off as she got lost in thought. Once upon a time she would have felt threatened by Sora's abilities but now she felt envious. She knew the other girl was the key to becoming a true Kaleido star.

"Do you really feel that way Layla?" asked Sora. She never knew Layla envied her performances, especially when it's always been the other way around.

Snapping out of her thoughts, Layla once again focused on the brunette. "Yes I do."

Sora mulled over her thoughts until she realized what Layla was talking about. "I'm not an expert but I think I know how to give you what you are looking for."

That perked Layla's attention. "You do?"

"You are wondering what that extra power I have is, right?"

The blonde slowly nodded in response.

Sora shrugged. "If that's all you want to know then it's simple."

"Don't keep me in suspense. What is it?" asked Layla playfully.

The brunette held up her unoccupied hand and motioned for the taller girl to come closer. "Come here it's a secret."

Not understanding what Sora was getting at but obeying all the same, Layla leaned closer to the other girl. Sora knew she had the blonde right where she wanted. The Japanese girl smiled as she leaned over like she was going to whisper something in the Layla's ear. At least that's what the blonde thought Sora was going to do, but at the last second, the brunette leaned over and stole a gentle kiss from her lips instead. It was a soft and tender kiss designed to portray all of Sora's feelings.

Before Layla could entertain the thought of deepening the warm gesture, the smaller girl pulled back. "Sora?" questioned the blonde lightly. The cold hospital air was already making her mouth sorely miss their newfound partnership.

"shhh." shushed Sora as she pressed her finger to Layla's lips. "Let me talk, okay?" The taller girl nodded and Sora ran her finger softly over the other girl's lips. "That was exactly the thing you were missing Layla."

"A kiss?"

"Exactly." Sora stopped her slow teasing and pulled her hand back from the other woman. "I'm always surrounded by people who love and support me. It doesn't matter if it's the love of friends, family, or even lovers. I take all of it with me when I get up on stage and it allows me to soar. I do it with my whole heart and I guess it allows the others to share in that joy."

Layla smiled coyly. "Are you saying I need loving to perform like you do?"

Sora blushed and turned away. "Y…y…yes more or less."

"I guess that wouldn't be so bad. It could be a new kind of training regimen." Layla used her thumb to stroke the hand she was holding. "Oh, Sora?"

"Huh?" questioned the smaller girl as she once again faced the blonde.

"It's never too early to practice." with that said, Layla leaned over and kissed the girl.

It only last a few brief seconds and the taller girl pulled back. Sora sat there with a red face and she couldn't keep herself from letting out a giggle. "Always practicing aren't you?"

"It's the only way to get better." responded the very content looking Layla. She enjoyed flirting with Sora so much that she failed to notice a very nervous looking nurse who quietly entered the room.

"M…m…Ms. Hamilton?"

On instinct the two girls pulled away from each other. It wasn't that they were ashamed or trying to keep their relationship a secret, but both of them shied away from a situation that caused them unwanted embarrassment.

"Is it time?" questioned the blonde in her usual neutral voice.

Sora was somewhat shocked to see just how quick the transformation was. One second Layla was this tender and loving girl and the next she was this woman with an all business exterior. **_"I guess I'm the only one fortunate enough to see the true Layla."_**

The nurse nodded at the blonde. "Yes Ms. Hamilton. I'm here to take you to the operation room. I came earlier but the two of you were deep in discussion and I didn't want to interrupt."

"I understand and we thank you for respecting our privacy."

The nurse nervously waved it off. "It's common right before a big operation. Trust me, I've caught couples doing worse…much worse."

Both women blushed as they independently entertained those thoughts.

"This is it then Ms. Hamilton. We have to go now or I'm going to get into trouble."

"Okay." said Layla as she got off of the bed with Sora following closely behind.

When the trio reached the door, the nurse turned around and addressed oriental girl. "If you want Miss…" The nurse opened up her clipboard. "Oh I'm sorry. I meant Mrs. Hamil…"

"Its Miss." interrupted Sora with a groan.

"Huh?" questioned the confused Nurse. "Umm…It must have been a typo Miss…?"

The Kaleido star smiled. "Sora is fine."

"Then Sora it is." said the nurse with a smile. She was grateful for the Asian girl's friendly demeanor. It was usually hard dealing with people before these kind of operations because they tended to be nervous wrecks. However, these two women had a confident aura about them. "You can stay in the waiting room till the surgery is over. It might take a long time so it might be best if you…"

"I'm staying." interrupted Sora firmly. "As long as Layla is in surgery, I'm not going anywhere."

The blonde smiled gratefully. Having Sora here was the added bonus to her peace of mind.

"Layla?" said Sora as she got the blonde's attention.

"Yes?" answered the taller girl calmly. Before Sora arrived she was literally biting at her nails but now that the Japanese girl was here, it was like a sheet of calm enveloped her. Deep down the blonde knew no matter what happened in the surgery, Sora would be there for her in the end. It was a thought that made whatever happened inconsequential. **_"This feeling…it truly is amazing."_**

Sora quickly flashed a look at the nurse patiently waiting near by. The Kaleido star shrugged and stepped closer to Layla. "Before you go take this for good luck." with that said, Sora leaned up and gave the blonde an intimate kiss. The brunette tried to keep the kiss tame due to the fact they were in the company of other people but Layla wouldn't have any of that.

The blonde leaned in and ran her hands through the shorter girl's hair before coming to rest on each side of Sora's cheeks. If this was for good luck then Layla intended to give the kiss her all. The lilac haired girl moaned in appreciation. Oh how they wished they could continue but time was of the essence. Layla slowly pulled back and looked her love deep in the eyes. "I have to go."

Sora nodded and stepped out of the blonde's embrace. "Good luc…"

"Don't." interrupted Layla. "Its bad luck to say that before something important happens."

The blonde said that all with her stern mask and Sora couldn't tell if the other woman was serious or not. "Since when are you superstitious?"

Finally Layla cracked a smile. "Ever since someone gave me the world's most effective good luck charm."

"Ms. Hamilton?" said the embarrassed nurse. The poor girl was trying to look everywhere but at the two women. "I think we should go now."

Layla nodded and took one last look at Sora before she headed off.

The lilac haired girl calmly watched as Layla disappeared down the long hallway. When finally the blonde was out of sight, the oriental girl sighed. **_"Good luck my Kaleido star."_**

"Why the long face. You're acting like she just went off to war or something."

Sora jumped back in surprise at the sound of a man's voice near her ear. "Eeaah!"

The spirit of the stage was floating over her right shoulder with a sour look on his face. "You know you don't have to be so freaked out about seeing me." The spirit dramatically put the back of his hand to his forehead. "It's so very bad for my already fragile ego."

Gone was the surprise on Sora's face only now to be replaced with irritation. "Dam you Fool. You scared me."

"Ha." sputtered the spirit "If I wanted to really scare you I could. Believe me I have ways."

"What are you going to do? Hide in my shampoo bottle again."

"I'm never going to live that one down am I?" Fool rolled his eyes. "But back to the task at hand."

"Which is?" asked a puzzled Sora. She thought all she had to do was wait patiently for Layla to finish her surgery.

"Channeling your negative energies out and focusing your positive energies in."

Sora didn't dignify the spirit with a comment so she turned and headed to the waiting room. **_"If I'm lucky there will be other people around so I can be justified when I ignore him." _**

Fool followed behind closely. His little legs couldn't keep pace but being able to float made the job easy. "Aren't you going to ask me how?"

"Does it involve a shower?" responded the brunette sarcastically.

Fool laughed obnoxiously. "Silly girl, do you see any showers around? No, I simply meant that I can kindly provide you my shoulder to lean on. That way you can let all your worries ease out so they don't interfere with your happy thoughts."

"If I leaned on you I'd crush you."

"Then let me lean on you. I promise it'll help."

Finally Sora genuinely laughed. "You just don't give up Fool. I admire that about you."

The spirit's face lit up. "Does that mean yes?"

"No!"

"Hmmmph." scoffed the little man. "See if I ever try to help you again."

"Good riddance."

>>>>

The room Layla stepped into looked like a scene from Star Trek. Medical equipment of all sorts lined the walls and they made the traditional noises of being powered up. In the center of the circular room sat a long segmented tabled under a large half-cylinder medical scanner with robotic arms attached to it. "What is that?" said Layla to no one in particular.

One of the four surgeons, all leaning over a computer panel near the bed, looked up and smiled. "Mrs. Hamilton, it is so nice of you to join us. We were about to start without you."

"Funny." retorted the blonde. "And it's Ms. Hamilton."

Miranda laughed. "Sora would be so heartbroken to hear that." The doctor noticed how tense her patient seemed when she first looked up but magically after mentioning the lilac haired girl, Layla visibly calmed. "I take it she finally showed."

Layla crossed her arms and nodded.

Dr. Everett smiled at Layla before she turned to one of the other surgeon. "Set the sensitivity to level five. This needs to be precise, down to the millimeter." The other surgeon nodded and did as he was told. When Miranda was satisfied, she once again focused her attention on the blonde. "You eager to get this over with?"

"Yes." answered the former Kaleido star. "Let's get this started because I have some training to do."

"Wow. With that kind of determination I'm definitely going to Kaleido stage for one of your future shows."

Layla reached up and brushed an errant lock away from her eye. One of the things she missed about having short hair was it's convenience, but she missed having long hair even more so she was going to have to get used to it once again. "So, what is that?" asked the blonde as she motioned at the half-cylinder device again.

"Oh that." said Miranda as she looked at the instrument in question. "That's the bad puppy that's going to make you whole again. It's something I developed at M.I.T. before I went to med school. It's kind of a laser scalpel that is operated by a sensor panel for precision. That is not its only feature though." Dr. Everett walked over the device and stroked it lovingly. "It also has an electrolyte charger that allows cellular growth to be artificially accelerated."

The whole thing was a little out of Layla's field of expertise but she knew enough to recognize a medical breakthrough. "It's amazing."

"It is, if I may say so myself." To the doctor it was like showing off a smart child. "This device will revolutionize the medical industry. Imagine breaking a bone or getting a finger cut off. Those things could be repaired in one swift operation rather than waiting months."

"If that is so…why wasn't this published more than just a few articles here and there."

"Ah that." That point seemed to damper the doctors mood somewhat. "We still haven't gotten approval from the FDA."

"Why?" asked Layla. She knew by volunteering she would be exempt from federal regulations but she hopped that wasn't a bad thing.

Miranda simply waved it off. "Something about the treatments being too much like a steroid."

"Excuse me but did you give me steroids!"

The doctor laughed off the woman's concern. "I said because it's _like _a steroid not because it was one. Government officials are always iffy about new things but I'm hoping this operation will get them off their asses." When the shocked expression faded from Layla's face, she continued. "I assure you everything is safe. I actually invented the treatment and the electrolyte panel for…" The woman stopped in mid-sentence. She debated whether or not she wanted to say more but she ended up shaking her head. "Never mind about that but trust me it's safe."

Layla was curious as to what the doctor was about to say. "What did you originally invent it for?"

The doctor blushed. "That is a discussion for another time." Miranda reached down and pushed a button nearby and the device moved aside from the table. "If you would, Mrs. Hamilton, please take a seat."

"Am I going to be awake for this?" asked Layla as she walked over to the operating table.

"No. I'll make sure we give you something that will knock you out cold."

"Okay." responded the blonde as she sat down and slid into a laying position.

The doctor took out a syringe and injected it in the blonde's arm. "Sweet dreams."

"**_If everything works out I'll be able to fly with Sora again." _**Layla sighed contently as the world around her started to fade away. Her last thoughts before she surrendered to oblivion were of her beloved partner.

>>>>

Kaleido Stage

"For the love of goddddd!" screamed Manami as she fell from the trapeze to the safety net.

Ken was there to help her back on the platform. "I told you to release when I say to." said the laughing man.

The Japanese girl gave him a sour look. "What's so funny?"

The blonde put his hand over his mouth to stem the tide of mirth that threatened to burst through the surface. "I know I shouldn't be laughing but that was very funny."

The girl turned her back on him and proceeded down the ladder to the floor. "I can't believe you talked me into that."

"Hey now." called out Ken as he followed the girl down. "I made the suggestion but you're the one who agreed to it. I was only joking too."

Stepping onto solid ground once again felt like heaven to Manami. She sighed and turned around to the boy. "I thought you were serious. Besides I wanted your help."

>>>>

Two Hours Ago

_Ken was going through the inventory and the stage crew reports when there was a knock on his door. "Come in."_

_The door cracked open slightly and short haired Asian girl popped her head through the opening. "Hello."_

"_Manami?" said the surprised crew manager. He didn't think anyone would be around this early, let alone Sora's friend._

"_I'm not bothering am I?"_

_Ken looked at the pile of forms that Kalos wanted done before the end of the day. "Nope, please come in."_

_Smiling, the girl walked in and shut the door behind her. "This isn't a social visit I'm afraid."_

"_Oh?" questioned the blonde. He didn't think there was any business involving the girl._

"_Hai." Manami answered. She stopped to look around the office. "Wow! You have your own office and everything. I thought you just wondered around doing whatever."_

"_My job is a little more official then that." Ken realized they were getting off topic. "But about your official business?" _

_Manami looked at the man from the corner of her eyes. "Yes that, hmmmm." said the girl mysteriously. "I recently came in possession of a room where I can sleep and stash my belongings. It's quite handy but the problem is I don't know where it is nor do I have anything to fill it with."_

_Ken smiled. "In other words, Kalos gave you an apartment and you need me to find it for you._

"_Also to come with me to get some furniture but yes that's exactly what I need."_

"_I thought you said you had official business." mused the blonde. _

"It is official business." retorted the woman. "As the new manager of hair care and style, I order you to help."

"_That's not even a real position and you're not allowed to order me. I'm technically your boss."_

"_Pfffff…" gestured the woman as she waved it off. "Semantics."_

_Ken wanted to laugh at the girl's directness. "I really can't go right now. I'm sorry." The blonde looked at the pile of forms once more. "If I don't finish my work then you might end up being my boss because Kalos is going to demote me."_

"_Come on!" demanded Manami. "You strike me as one of those types who could get this all done in ten minutes if you needed to."  
_

"_Are you calling me a nerd?"_

_Manami grunted. "It was a complement you goober."_

"_Okay but why do you need me to help. I can show you on the directory where your room is. As for the rest, I think you can handle it yourself."_

"_I have my trusty credit cards with me and I plan to buy some furniture to customize my new home." Manami walked towards the desk and sat down in one of the spare chairs. "I've seen some of the apartments at this place. For a circus troupe, none of you have any sense of style."_

_Ken nodded. "Sounds like a good idea but again…why me?"_

_Manami looked at him like it was obvious. "Are you telling me you're going to let me move a bunch of furniture all by myself?" The oriental girl leaned forward on desk with her elbows. "Well news flash! I know you are used to all these buff acrobatic woman, but I'm a Japanese computer engineering major." Manami pulled back and flexed her arms for enfaces._

"_**She is cute." **thought Ken. "Still, if you want someone's help to move your stuff, then why are you picking me? I'm not your shining example of buffness."_

"_You're the only one I know around here." _

_Ken picked up a pen and began filling out the forms. "Since you put it that way, I'll be happy to help."_

"_Good." said Manami with smugness. She crossed her arms and leaned back in the chair triumphantly._

_Ken smiled inwardly. "But…tomorrow."_

"_Huh?" Manami's smugness faded. **"Sneaky." **_

"_So if you'll excuse me." said Ken. He had no real intention of leaving the brunette high and dry but the temptation to play with her was too powerful._

"_**Guess I'll have to bring out the big guns." **Manami once again leaned over the desk in a way that forced Ken to look directly in her eyes. The oriental girl directed a high level pout in his direction while she spoke in a soft voice. "Please Ken. I would really appreciate it if you would help me out today."_

"_**She doesn't fight fare does she." **thought Ken as he swallowed the lump in his throat. "**I must remain strong for the sake of the game. I can't let her win." **The blonde did his best to ignore her. Instead he refocused himself on filling out the forms in his hands. "I work at a place predominately filled with women. If I didn't get immune to your techniques, I would have been in trouble a long time ago."_

_Manami's eyes narrowed. **"You are good." **The girl sighed and leaned back in the chair. "Fine! What will it take to make you come with me?"_

"_If you agree to swing from a trapeze I'll do whatever you say for the rest of the day." Ken knew Manami would never agree to something that outrageous so he felt quite smug that he won this round._

"_And you will do all my biddings?" mused the brunette._

_The boy shrugged. "Sure."_

"_Fine, I'll do it."_

_Ken dropped his pen. "What?" _

"_I said I'll do it." Manami rolled her eyes. **"I call your bluff."**_

"_**She can't be serious." **Ken looked over the desk at Manami's determined face. All thoughts of doing the forms faded from his mind.** "Ok then, let's see how far she's going to take this." **_

_The oriental girl smirked. "What are you waiting for? Let's do this!" _

_The boy stood up from the desk. "Let's."_

>>>>

Present

"**_There must be something in the water where Sora is from because all their women are amazing. She actually went up there and tried that." _**Ken walked over and handed a bottle of water to the panting girl. "Here."

Manami glared at him but took the bottle anyway. "Arigato." responded the girl. She couldn't believe he didn't try to stop her. The whole time since they left the office they were trying to one up each others bluff until she ended up on the launch ramp. Up there on the practice trapeze she was scared out of her mind but for some reason she went through with it. Ever since she was a little girl she had a kind of rivalry with Sora. She could always do what the other girl did better. That was until her friend took up gymnastics and everything changed. It was a field Manami didn't stand a chance in so it effectively ended their competition. Since coming to America she always wondered what it would be like to jump off one of those swingy things. Deep down Manami still had that nagging voice that told her 'If Sora could do it then so can I.' That's probably why she decided to jump even though Ken kept telling her she could back down at anytime. "So that's what jumping from a trapeze feels like." said Manami with awe.

"Great isn't it." mused Ken. He didn't know he misinterpreted the girl's wide eyed response.

She looked at the blonde like he was nuts. "Are you kidding me!" Manami sat down on the nearby bench. "You guys are freaking nuts. Why would anyone do that for a living?"

"Oh." Ken shrugged as he scratched the back of his head. "It is fun once you get used to it."

"**_It was kind of fun."_** thought Manami. She shook her head and smiled. "Well I did my part of the bargain. I win so you have to be my slave now."

"Fine, my word is my bond but I'm not a slave. I'm simply bound by your orders for the rest of the day."

Manami brought a finger to her lips and tapped it. "Sounds a lot like a slave if you ask me."

The blonde smiled. "What do you want to do first Manami?"

"Call me master."

Ken had to laugh at such a ludicrous suggestion. "Don't push it."

"Be that way." responded the girl as she too started laughing. They both enjoyed themselves for awhile until things became quiet between them. Manami looked up at the trapeze and decided to break the silence. "So what did I do wrong?"

Ken caught sight of what the oriental girl was looking at. "It's all about the timing. If you pull it off at the right moment, it's amazing."

Manami could detect the warmth in his voice as he talked about the trapeze. "You miss it don't you?"

"Yeah, I do." Ken shrugged. "But like I said, my dream has changed and I'm happy where I'm at."

"Can you still do it or would that be too much?" Manami didn't know how to phrase the question properly. She didn't want to seem insensitive to Ken's heart condition.

The boy looked at the trapeze with firmness in his eyes. "My doctor would frown on it but I bet I could still pull it off."

"I would have liked to see your show back then." said Manami. "I bet it was amazing."

Ken turned to the girl with a weird look in his eyes. "Want to see it?"

"Huh?" Manami blinked several times before what he just said dawned on her. "You want to go up there?"

There was a strange firmness to the boy's demeanor "Yes."

"But that would be too dangerous."

Ken ignored her warnings and walked up the ladder.

"**_At least the platform is still set pretty low from when I tried it."_** thought Manami, as she followed after the boy.

When Ken got to the ladder area, he reached over and hit a button on the control panel. Soon the entire trapeze platform began to raise high in the air.

"What are you doing?" said the alarmed woman.

The blonde ignored her as he started ascending the platform.

"If your trying to impress me, you don't have to do this." called out Manami. She wasn't to wild about this whole idea. Normally Ken seemed so leveled headed but right now he was acting like a man possessed.

"This isn't about that." responded the boy as he climbed. "I need to see something for myself."

Seeing that her worries were going to fall on deaf ears, Manami stepped back and watched the boy make his way to the platform.

When Ken finally got to the top, he looked over to the other side with a sense of nostalgia that brought back many precious memories. His pulse was racing with excitement but he could care less. There was no audience or applause waiting at the end but that didn't matter. He had to do this. He had this nagging feeling in the back of his head that kept urging him forward. "Manami?"

"Yes." called up the girl from the bottom floor.

"When I say go, push the red button on the panel for the release."

"Me?"

The blonde nodded. "Please."

"**_Thanks for giving me a part in this crazy stunt you goober." _**Manami sighed. "Tell me when you are ready."

Ken closed his eyes and let out a deep breath. When he opened them he was ready. The blonde approached the bar and grasped it firmly. "Okay Manami, on the count of three."

Ken couldn't see her but Manami nodded in confirmation.

"One."

"Two."

"Don't push that button!" said a loud accented male voice.

Ken stopped his countdown and Manami turned to the foreign voice. There at the entrance of the practice room was a tall man with long platinum hair. "What are you doing?" said the man as he stared at the boy on the top platform.

"Stay out of this Leon. It's just a simple routine so there's nothing for you to get involved with." Ken never really liked the man but in recent months, Leon had undergone a change from a brooding prick to a brooding care bear.

"You shouldn't do this." The man coolly walked further into the room. "Leave the trapeze to the professionals."

While Ken and the platinum haired man talked to one another, Manami just stared dumbly. **_"That's the one and only Leon Oswald...wow."_**

The crew manager on the trapeze scoffed. "You're not my boss Leon."

"No but I am." This time the voice came from Kalos, as he too walked into the practice room. "Mr. Robbins, it would be best if you came back down."

"K..K..Kalos?" said the blonde in complete surprise. He didn't waste anytime climbing back down the ladder. When he got to the bottom floor, he turned to his boss. "Sir I was just…"

"No need to explain Ken." Kalos looked down at his own fingers. No one could tell he was looking at them behind his reflective glasses. "I understand more than you could possibly know but that doesn't excuse your behavior. Besides, I don't think your mother would forgive me if you harmed yourself. To be honest she scares me."

"I'm sorry Kalos."

"Hmmph." uttered the man as he looked over at Manami. "Twice in two days you break the rules Ken. If I knew Manami was going to be this bad of an influence I wouldn't have hired her."

Manami looked shocked but Ken was quick to the rescue. "This was all my idea Kalos."

"I'm sure it was." The Kaleido boss gave one of his super rare half-smiles at Manami. "I'm actually kidding. Kaleido star is better off with her here. Being able to recognize an asset is what I'm here for. Besides that, I need a haircut the day after tomorrow and I want to see how good she is for myself."

"Really?" said Manami before she regained her composure. "I'll impress you boss, you'll see."

"Until then." responded Kalos as she turned to leave. "Oh and Ken?"

"Yes boss?"

"Be sure you don't forget to turn in those forms. As for your punishment I want you to fetch that tour of Kaleido stage disk for Leon. "

"Why?" asked the blonde but it was too late, Kalos had already walked out of the room. The blonde sighed and turned to the male Kaleido star. As usual the man had on his expressionless face, but what truly irritated Ken was how Manami was sizing him up. **_"Not her too."_**

Manami couldn't help herself. **_"The man is cute."_**

"Be sure to give me that disk before the end of the day." said Leon as he started walking for the door. "As for your little stunt Ken. You shouldn't try things you are not capable of anymore. The past can't be changed so it's pathetic to try." The platinum haired man meant what he said genuinely as good advice, but he didn't catch the extremely hurt look in Ken's eyes.

However it was a look that Manami saw as clear as day. **_"That man is also a jerk."_**

So engrossed in his own thoughts, the crew manager forgot to ask why Leon needed the disk before he left the room. He snapped out of his self-loathing stupor when a warm hand slid onto his shoulder.

"I think you could have easily done it." said the oriental girl softly.

"I appreciate that but they were right." Normally when a girl touched him like that he would have gotten flustered, but right now it was very calming. "Doing that was crazy. I really don't know what got into me." He meant what he said. Some strange urge flooded his mind and before he knew it he was grasping the trapeze bar.

Manami watched the boy beat himself up so she tried to change the subject. "As your master I order you to forget all of this."

Ken smiled. "I'm not your slave."

"Semantics." Manami removed her hand and headed in the direction of the door. "The faster we find this disk, the faster we can help me move, which means the quicker you can do your work."

"Sounds like a plan." said the boy. He felt much better thanks to Manami and for that he was grateful. As he headed out the door he couldn't shake that strange feeling. **_"Why did I do that?"_**

>>>>

High up on the trapeze platform, the chain that was holding the handle bar came apart and fell to the ground. Had Ken used it during the stunt, things would have ended badly.

"Dratz." swore an unseen voice from high in the air. "There seems to be way too much fortune around here, but alas my work has only begun."

>>>>

Boston Regional Medical

The beeping sound of the heart monitor showed a nice and steady pace as three of the four surgeons gathered around the control panel. On the screen was a computer generated image of their patient. Bone, muscle fibers, and ligaments were all detailed to the letter as it encompassed the entirety of Layla's torso.

"Doctor." said Miranda as she turned to one of her colleges monitoring Layla's condition by the table. The unconscious blonde was lying there with an IV in her arm and the Electrolyte scanner secured to her upper body. "Were the solutions administered?"

"Yes they were."

"And the anti-coagulant?" questioned Dr. Everett.

"Yes doctor."

"Good." All though it was not visible by plain sight, on the screen it showed that an entire graft of Layla's skin, from the elbow to the upper shoulder, was removed. "Let us see if we can find the root of the problem."

"Yes doctor." voiced the unanimous reply from all medical staff present.

>>>>

Sora let out the hundredth sigh in the last ten minutes. "I wonder what's happening."

"I don't know."

"I wish we could check."

"We can't."

"I just wish we could is all."

"**_She won't shut up." _**thought Fool. Sitting here for the last two hours was a test of his fortitude. It turns out when Sora was truly worried she couldn't remain quiet. "We just have to wait patiently."

The brunette sighed yet again. When they arrived at the waiting room they found it empty. At first Sora was annoyed but now she was grateful they had the whole place to themselves. Having Fool to talk to was a good way to keep her mind from wondering to unpleasant thoughts. "I just wish there was something I could do. My girlfriend is…"

"Say what again?" asked Fool, pretending he didn't hear the girl the first time.

"I said my girlfriend is…"

"I still can't hear you. Oh how I lament my tiny ears."

"I said my…" Sora turned to the tiny spirit. "You just want me to keep saying that don't you."

Fool smiled. "It sounds very erotic when you say that." The spirit didn't see the incoming magazine but he should have anticipated it. The booklet landed with an audible crack that knocked Fool off his perch. The spirit climbed back up and rubbed his sore head. "Ouch."

"That's what you get, perv." The oriental girl leaned back in her chair.

The spirit ignored the woman's look of frustration. "Since when did you two officially become girlfriends?"

Sora absent-mindedly played with the hem of her shirt. "We haven't actually said that word between us yet. I just figured since we've had a few dates, it's about time I started." The girl smiled warmly. "That and we love each other, so it should be all right."

"That's sweet." responded the little man as he floated to the chair's armrest. "Please say it again Sora."

"No!" Sora replied as she crossed her arms. "To you it may sound kinky but to me it's special, and I won't have you tarnish that beautiful feeling with your weirdness"

"Your beautiful feeling for what?" asked the spirit sneakily.

"The feeling I get when I call Layla my girlfriend."

"**_To easy." _**thought Fool as he fell on his back and looked up at the ceiling. "Hmmm."

The Kaleido star groaned when she realized she fell for such an obvious trap. "Dam you."

"I've had centuries to perfect my craft dear Sora. Don't beat yourself up too much."

>>>>

Kaleido Stage.

"So what is this tour of Kaleido Stage disk?" asked Manami as they arrived at Ken's office.

The blonde walked over to his desk and started ruffling through it. "It's a disk that I made a long time ago that toured the dorms and stages. It's kind of a promotional we give to newcomers to entice them into working here. It's also a good way to show performers, who've already sighed on, around so they can get a feel for the place."

"Why does Leon Oswald want a tour disk?"

Ken stopped his search and looked at the oriental girl. "I wondered that too." Before he got back to search he had to add. "And you don't have to call him Leon Oswald. Leon would suffice."

"**_Oooh. He might be warming up to me. I think he's getting kind of jealous." _**Manami smiled and sat on the desk overlooking the boy's search. "I can't help it. That man is so dreamy."

Ken, who was looking in the bottom most drawer, moved up too suddenly when Manami said that. He ended up hitting his head on the top drawer and falling back down. "Owww."

"You okay?" asked the girl insincerely. She clearly enjoyed causing that.

"I'm fine." grunted the man as he went back to his search. "Don't get sucked into his web."

"If he's the spider I don't think I'd mind."

"He's bad news." reasoned the blonde as he moved on to another drawer. He still wasn't having any luck finding the elusive disk.

"According to Sora he's a changed man."

Ken had to be honest. "I guess he is."

"Is he single?"

"Why?" asked Ken a little too quickly.

The brunette shrugged. "Just asking."

"Don't bother." said the blonde as he shut the drawer. "He's weird."

"How so?"

Ken tried to do some quick thinking. "He's into voodoo."

"Voodoo?" said a surprised Manami. **_"That's a new one."_**

"**_Nice one Einstein."_** thought the boy with a groan. "It could happen."

The Asian girl smiled coyly. "Are you getting jealous by any chance?"

"N..n..no, I'm just looking out for a new friend." The blonde started laughing nervously. **_"Am I. Man that's so wrong, she's one of Sora's best friends."_**

Manami saw that she was pushing her luck. "Find the disk yet?" asked the girl as she attempted to change the subject. **_"We will continue this dance later."_**

Clearing out his thoughts so he could focus on the task at hand, Ken shook his head. "No. It doesn't seem to be here."

"Did someone borrow it?"

A light bulb went off in the crew manager's head. "Actually I think I let Sora borrow it last."

"There you have it." said Manami triumphantly.

"But Sora is in Boston so how are we going to get it?"

The girl sighed. "The dummy never did get a cell phone."

"If she's with Layla we might get a hold of her through Layla's cell."

"Should we be bothering them?" questioned Manami. As much as she didn't like the idea of Sora with the obnoxious blonde, she didn't think it smart to interrupt them.

"Why wouldn't it?" To Ken it seemed perfectly logical. Even though Layla intimidated him, the prospect of failing Kalos was a little scarier. "It's our best choice."

"You're the boss."

Ken smiled. "I thought you were the master."

"Fine." said the brunette as she got off the desk. "I order you, my faithful peon, to call Layla."

"Oh but master there is a simple problem." responded the boy.

"What?"

"I don't have Layla's cell phone number."

>>>>

Boston Regional Medical

Dr. Everett moved her hands slowly over the touch screen. The computer reacted to the slightest bit of pressure so her movements were soft and gentle. It was almost as if she was conducting an orchestra, or so the other surgeons thought as they watched the head doctor operate the machine. For every movement there was a mirroring movement from the apparatus connected to Layla. Layer by layer the lasers cut away until the first sign of bone appeared. "Finally."

"Doctor?" questioned one of the other surgeons monitoring the auxiliary panel.

Not taking her eyes off the screen for a millisecond, Miranda's response was measured with slowness. "Yes…doctor."

The man double checked his reading before continuing. "The patient's temperature is running a little high."

Dr. Everett did a quick check on the screen. "A… little…but…her…body…is…under…a…lot…of…stress."

"Will it be okay?"

Miranda nodded. "Should…be."

The two surgeons at the operating table had the second hardest of the jobs. For every vital incision they had to clamp up the arteries to stem the loss of blood. It was meticulous task that required the steadiest of hands. Another one of their jobs was to make sure the replacement fluids were fed quickly through the IV.

Back at the operating console, Miranda finally located the source of the problem. **_"How in god's name did she manager that."_**

>>>>

Somewhere on a Flight over the Midwest

"**_Finally I can get some sleep." _**Yuri leaned back and let the slow rhythmic sound of the jet engines send him to the land of dreams.

_Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep Beep_

Yuri groaned as he reached into his suit pocket for his cell phone. **_"I wonder who that can be." _**Yuri looked at the number but he didn't recognize it right away. "Hello?" answered the man as he pushed the receive button.

"_I hope I'm not bothering you Mr. Killian."_

"Who is this?"

The boy on the other end cleared his throat. _"It's Ken Mr. Killian."_

Yuri had been traveling to different cities for days as part of The Phoenix promotional. However in one of his brief moments of peace and quiet, he was being bothered. "Something I can do for you Mr. Robbins?"

"_I was wondering if you have Layla's cell phone number."_

Yuri reached down and moved his chair out of it's recline. "What do you want her number for?"

"_It's not that we want to bother her but I need to get a hold of Sora."_

That perked Yuri's interest. "Why would calling Layla be a way to contact Sora?"

"_Sora went to Boston for the surgery and she doesn't own a cell phone. I figured you would probably have Layla's number so our best bet was to contact you." _

The former acrobat suddenly felt very much out of the loop. "Hold up. Why is Sora with Layla in Boston, Especially when Layla is supposed to be in New York? Second…What's this about a surgery?"

"_It's kind of complicated."_

"I'm not going anywhere."

"_Well Sora met Layla in Boston a few days ago. I don't know why Layla wanted Sora to be there, but Ms. Hamilton is having surgery done that might help out her shoulder or something. I'm surprised you didn't already know this. I thought if anyone would know about the operation it must be you." _

"Actually this is the first time I'm hearing about this." Yuri reached over and picked up his drink from the holder. He then took a much needed sip. The burning liquid was a welcomed companion to his already fatigued mind. **_"If Layla was having some kind of surgery done then why the heck did she not contact me about it first?"_**

"_Everyone is in the dark about the surgery but since we all went on break, Sora had some spare time. I guess she really wanted to be there in person to support Layla."_

"I guess you are right." responded Yuri in a detached manner. He was still mulling over this newest piece of information. Yuri admitted it hurt that Layla didn't consider him important enough to share this news with. He knew from experience that his former partner detested hospitals. The only reason she would volunteer to be under any kind of medical scrutiny, would have to be rooted with the possibility of returning to the stage.

"_So do you have her number?" _questioned the crew manager over the phone. Ken felt like he just tattled on someone and he wanted to end this conversation as soon as possible.

"Yes but first can I ask you why you wanted to contact Sora?"

"_Nothing super important but I need to find the Kaleido tour disk and Sora was the last person I gave it to."_

"Very well." answered Yuri. He too wanted to end this conversation quickly. There were some calls of his own he had to make.

>>>>

Kaleido Stage

"Did you get Layla's number?" asked Manami as Ken got off of the phone.

The man nodded. "Yep, now all we have to do is use it."

"Cool. So what are we waiting for? Let's find that elusive disk." Manami was overflowing with giddiness. After the mishap to get Yuri's number, she was having a blast.

>>>>

Thirty Minutes Ago

"_So what are you waiting for?"_

_Ken shrugged. "Kalos isn't here so we have to find someone else who knows Layla's number."_

"_That's going to waste too much time." Manami crossed her arms started taping her feet. "There are only so many hours in a day you know."_

"_I'm aware of that." retorted the boy in frustration._

"_I'm sure your boss has a rolodex with the number." _

"_He's our boss and like I said the door is locked."_

_The girl bent down and analyzed the lock. "Can't you pick a lock?"_

_Ken looked at the girl incredulously. "Why would you think I knew how to pick a lock?"_

_The girl stood back up and faced the boy. "I thought all you circus folk knew how to pick a lock."_

"_That's just a stereotype."_

_The oriental girl shrugged and leaned against the door. "Well do you or don't you?"_

_The blonde let out a sigh and reached out his hand out towards Manami face. _

_The girl's eyes widened. "What are you doing?" _

"_Shush." responded Ken as he finger glided through Manami's hair. _

_The brunette closed her eyes. **"Who would have thought he was so bold." **_

_Just as Manami thought Ken was going to make a move on her, he stood back with a smile on his face. "Got one."_

_The brunette's eyes snapped open. "Huh?"_

_Ken held out one of Manami's hair pins. "Sorry for that but I was looking for this."_

"_Oh." The Japanese girl suddenly felt very stupid. "What did you want with one of my pins?"_

"_This." Ken kneeled down and stuck the piece of metal in the lock. A few seconds later there was an audible click. The blonde turned the handle and the door opened. "Tadah!" _

"_I can't believe this!" said Manami in shock._

_Ken had a smug look on his face. "I'm full of surprises, aren't I?" The shocked look on the girl's face doubled his current ego level._

"_Yes you are Mr. Robins." said a man's voice from behind the blonde._

_Ken's eyes widened in surprise. "Kalos is behind me, isn't he?"_

_Manami nodded dumbly. "That's the part I couldn't believe."_

_Ken slowly turned around and there was his boss with a scowl on his face. "Kalos I can explain…"_

"_Is the reason so important you felt you had to break into my office to get it."_

"_Well…you…I…" The blonde was at a loss for words._

"_This is becoming a bad habit for you Mr. Robbins."_

>>>>

Present

It turned out Kalos didn't have Layla's new number either. On the bright side, if the whole incident had one, was Kalos did have Yuri's Number. Ken figured if anyone had Layla's new number it had to be her former partner. All in all this was turning into quite the adventure. Manami was very happy she decided to find the blonde this afternoon. "This is fun don't you think. It's like we are detectives."

Ken groaned. "More like criminals. I can't believe I broke into my boss's office."

"That was smooth by the way."

"Which part?" retorted the boy. "The part where I picked the lock or maybe the part where my boss emasculated me?"

Manami laughed. "Both."

Ken didn't want to give the girl the satisfaction of admitting it, but he was actually having a blast. "Let's just find that disk."

"So you do know how to pick a lock."

"I wasn't exactly the best kid growing up."

Manami bumped into his shoulder playfully. "Somehow I don't think of you as the bad boy."

"Trust me, I can be bad when I want to." said the boy very unconvincingly.

Manami rolled her eyes. "Sure you can." The oriental girl pointed to the phone in his hand. "Time to make a call, Mr. Bad Ass."

Ken ignored her and programmed the number Yuri gave him into the cell phone. "If we get a hold of Sora do you want to tell her about your new job?"

Manami shook her head. "I want to surprise her in person. She probably couldn't see this kind of thing happening so the shock value will be worth it."

"Your choice." answered the blonde. He wanted to be there when Sora found out her friend was going to be staying in Cape Mary. He was just getting to know Manami and he could only imagine what it was like to grow up with her. **_"I don't know if Sora will be happy or freaked out."_**

>>>>

Boston Regional Medical

"**_This is like rearranging a glued on jigsaw puzzle."_** thought Dr. Everett as she used her finger to draw lines over areas the robotic arm will cut.

The surgeon to the right of the operating table gave Miranda the thumbs up. "You are doing great doctor. This is going smoothing."

Dr. Everett smiled. "How…is…her…temperature…faring?"

"Gone up slightly but nothing to cause any alarm."

>>>>

Sora was leaning back in her chair and fanning herself with a National Geographic magazine. She stopped what she was doing when she caught sight of the front cover. "Ooooh look Fool." She turned the magazine so the spirit could see.

Fool wasn't paying attention to the brunette but when he heard his name, he turned towards her. There in front of him was a large monster pigeon with beady red eyes. "Ahhhh!" screamed the little man as he fell off the armrest.

Sora busted out in ruckus laughter.

The spirit slowly floated back up and peered over the top of the chair. He could now see it was just a large picture of a pigeon sitting on the top of a statue. "Very funny, Oh ha ha ha. Lets all laugh at the spirit's expense."

Sora took the magazine and started fanning herself again. "Thank you I was."

Fool regained his earlier position on the chair and glared at his charge. "Why are you doing that?"

The girl looked at the little man like it was obvious. "It's hot in here."

"Hot?" Fool regarded Sora strangely. "It's around sixty degrees in here. Trust me it's anything but hot. This temperature is freezing my…"

"Fool!" said Sora in warning.

The spirit held up his hand with a stupid grin on his face. "Toes…it's freezing my toes off."

Sora sighed. **_"Must be me then."_**

"Now if there isn't anymore evil tricks you plan to play on me, I would like to resume my relaxation."

Sora ignored his complaining. She leaned over on the armrest and put her head in her left hand. "Can you sneak in the operation room and tell how things are going?"

"No!" he yelled quickly.

"No need to get all angry."

"Sorry I just can't stand the sight of blood." The spirit floated away from Sora and laid down on the girl's purse. He scooted around until he found a nice, comfortable spot.

"B..b..blood?" responded the brunette with wide eyes.

"Of course, it is surgery isn't it."

Sora looked away sadly. "It didn't cross my mind until now that they're actually going to be cutting into…" The brunette shook her head to clear it of the unwanted thoughts. The very idea of harming Layla was painful. **_"Just remain focused on the positive."_**

The room fell into quiet, that Fool was grateful for. He decided that this reprieve warranted a nap. Slowly the world began to drift away as he settled down into his comfortable, makeshift bed.

_Beep Beep Beep……….Beep Beep Beep_

Fool shot up and once gain fell down to the floor. "For the love of Fate what is that?"

"Calm down it's just the phone." Sora reached into her purse and pulled out Layla's cell. She remembered to put the thing in there when she left the blonde's hospital room. "Hello?" said the girl into the receiver.

"_Sora?" _

The brunette face widened with a smile. "Oh hey Ken! What are you doing calling Layla's cell phone?"

"_I'm surprised I got a hold of you. This is great." _was the excited response from the other line.

"Did you want Layla for something?" The brunette wondered what this was all about.

"_Actually I wanted to call you but you don't have a cell." _

Sora laughed it off. "Sorry about that."

"_You answered Layla's phone so is everything okay?"_

"Yeah." the brunette looked over at the wall clock. "Layla has actually been in surgery for a few hours."

"_Now! I didn't know it was so soon."_

Sora nodded even though Ken couldn't see the gesture. "She had it scheduled before I came up here."

"_I hope everything works out."_

"It will." replied the girl firmly.

"_Me too." _There was a slight pause before the boy continued. _"I can't tell you how amazing it's going to be to have Layla back at Kaleido."_

The resident butterflies in Sora's stomach fluttered around. "It's like a dream come true."

"_Yeah."_

"So, what is it you need Ken?" The oriental girl wondered why the boy needed to contact her all the way in Boston.

"_Oh that. I was wondering what you did with the Kaleido tour disk?"_

"That's what this is about?" Sora paused to consider where she last put it. Suddenly she remembered. "I let Mia borrow it last. She wanted to transfer some pictures from it to her website."

"_Mia has it?" _came the boy's response.

In the background Sora could hear another person's female voice. _"This is so like an American crime drama. Let's get ready to track down the next lead." _

The brunette pressed her ear closely in time to hear Ken's muffled voice. _"Ssssssh. Keep it down."_

"Ken who is that?" questioned Sora. She could have sworn she recognized that voice.

The boy on the other end had to do some quick thinking. "Err… It's Jonathan."

"Excuse me?"

On the other end that female voice resurfaced. _"Isn't that the seal you goober?" _said the woman who was quickly answered by Ken.

"_What? I panic when I have to lie." _

"**_Goober?" _**Sora's eyes widened in surprise. "Is that Manami?"

"_Err…yeah." _responded the resigned man. _"You want to talk to her?" _

"**_That was her, I knew it. But what's she doing there with Ken." _**Sora leaned back in the chair. "Of course. Put her on."

There was some rustling before Manami finally answered. _"Konnichiwa."_

"Hello there Manami. What are you doing there?"

"_I came here to visit you. Why else would I be here."_

"Your roommate told me you were in Cape Mary but I meant the hanging out with Ken." The brunette smiled into the cell phone. "And calling him goober. You only call boys you like that."

The girl on the other end eeeped in surprise. _"Would you shut up!" _

Sora had a good little laugh. "At least I'm glad your trip wasn't a total bust."

"_It wasn't." _came her friend's evasive response. _"So this Mia has the disk?"_

"You're helping Ken find the disk?"

"_Yeah, so does she have it?"_

"She was the last person I gave it to." answered the Kaleido star. "Don't you want to tell me how your trip has been so far?"

"_We can catch up later but we really need to find that disk. It's kind of been like a scavenger hunt."_

Sora was kind of hurt that Manami didn't want to small talk. The other girl sounded in a hurry so she decided to help out. "Tell Ken I'll call Mia and ask, then get back to him."

"_Later then."_

"Bye." Sora hung up the phone and then dialed Mia's number, however she stopped at the last digit. "Hey Fool?"

Since the beginning of the call, the spirit sat nearby and eased dropped on the entire conversation. "Yes?"

The brunette put the phone down and gave Fool her whole attention. Whatever she wanted to say made her a little uncomfortable. "I'm going to call Mia in a little bit but I need some advice."

"Oh?" responded the intrigued spirit. "What words of wisdom can this humble being give?"

Sora took a minute to think before she responded. "Do you think I should tell Mia about me and Layla?"

"What about you and Layla?" said the spirit with a smirk.

The brunette sighed. "The part about her being my girlfriend."

"Depends."

"On what?"

The spirit shrugged. "On how you want to deal with it."

"Arggg." groaned the girl. She reached up and moved some hair out of her eyes. "Evasive as always aren't you?"

Fool started floating around in an obnoxious flourish. "I am what I am."

"Be that way." Sora reached down and picked up the phone. "I'll wait to tell her face to face."

The spirit waved if off like it was trivial. "So be it."

The brunette sighed. "She and Anna are my best friends so I hope they can understand how I feel about Layla."

Before she dialed she had one last thought. **_"I just hope they don't freak out because I like a girl."_**

>>>>

Mia's Family Home

"**_I love vacations." _**thought Mia as she buried herself deeper in the sheets. It was cold this time of year at her parent's house, what with it being so far north. Though at the present moment she couldn't be any warmer. A pair of slender arms encircled her waste and pulled her closer to a warmth that put industrial heaters to shame. **_"Oh how I love vacations."_**

"Are you asleep?" came the soft whisper by her ear.

Mia's voice was equally soft. "No."

"Good."

Soon all talking became useless as the hand that rested on her stomach began gently stroking that soft flesh. "Again?" whispered Mia. Her voice portrayed just how wonderful she thought that idea was. The person answered her with playful nips along the length of her naked shoulder. Soon those soft lips were lavishing soft, teasing kisses over the slope of her neck. **_"This must be heaven." _**mused Mia as she pushed her back fully against the soft body of her lover. The hand on her stomach grew tired of the game and trailed downwards to seek its prize. Mia's eyes flew open as she moaned in anticipation. "Annaaaa!"

_Beep Beep Beep…Beep Beep Beep._

Anna rolled over stared at the ceiling incredulously. "You've got to be kidding me."

"Huh?" The loss of contact left Mia in a state of confusion. It took a minute for the sound to register. **_"I swear by any god listening I'll make whoever is calling pay dearly for that."_**

The aspiring comic looked over at the woman she was laying next to it. "Aren't you going to answer that Mia?"

The ginger haired woman blew an errant strand out of her face. "No!"

"It could be important."

"I'm on vacation." responded the frustrated girl.

Mia wasn't the only pent up one. "Look. The quicker you answer that the sooner we can get back to enjoying our vacation."

"Fine." responded the shorter girl as she got out of bed. As bare as the day she was born, the ginger haired woman walked over to the window table where her cell was at. Anna watched every second of it, not only because it was a beautiful sight to behold, but it was also entertaining to see Mia hop back and forth on the cold floor. "It's f…f…f…freezing." The girl didn't waste any time snatching up the phone. Mia hit the receive button as she ran back to bed and dived under the covers. "Hello!"

"_Bout time you picked up Mia." _came Sora's cheerful voice on the other end.

"Hiya Sora." The writer tried to sound cheerful but her friend just ruined the beginning of an exciting evening.

"_Is something wrong?"_

"N…no. Nothing at all. Just here at my parents house enjoying my vacation. Is there something I can do for you?" While Mia was talking to Sora, Anna thought it was be funny if she made goofy faces to see if she could get the other girl to crack up.

"_Actually I called to see if you knew where the Kaleido tour disk is?"_

Before Mia responded she had to deal with her goofball of a lover. The other girl was making it hard for her to keep a straight face so it was time to dish out a little revenge.

Anna was in the middle of her monkey pose when the ginger haired demon ran her cold feet up her thigh. "Eeeek!" squeaked the taller woman as she slid away from the frozen appendage. Unfortunately the bed was only made for one person and she ended up falling, butt first, on the cold floor.

Mia saw what happened and quickly covered up the phone just in time to conceal Anna's undignified scream. A minute later the disgruntled comic moved back into bed and turned her back to Mia. Quickly the aspiring writer turned over the cell phone. "I gave the disk to Rosetta so she's the one you need to get a hold of. I'm really sorry but something has just come up so I have to go."

"_Okay thanks. Bye." _

Mia hung up the phone and let out an ear splitting bale of laughter. It became so uncontrollably loud that the ginger haired woman moved her face into the pillow to cut off its torrent. When the moment ended, Mia slowly turned to her lover expecting the other woman to be upset over the whole episode. At least that was what she thought, but after all this time she should have known better.

As soon as she resurfaced, Anna had her on her back and pinned to the bed. "An?" whispered Mia in surprise.

The taller girl looked down at Mia with undisguised lust. "Did you really think it was that funny?"

"If you must know." answered Mia as she smiled lovingly at Anna. She reached up and cupped the other woman's beautiful face. "I thought it was hilarious."

To the lavender haired comic, that was the greatest compliment in all the world. "Oh god how I love you Mi."

"I love you too An…mmmhh." The shorter woman's declaration was cut off the moment Anna claimed her lips. Sora's interruption was soon forgotten as their flames of passion ignited with a vengeance. Both girls surrendered to that fire with a single fleeting thought. **_"I love vacations." _**

>>>>

Kaleido Stage

"So what she say?"

Ken pushed the disconnect button and turned to Manami. "Sora said that Mia gave it to Rosetta."

"Is she the short one?"

The boy nodded. "She prefers petite."

The brunette scoffed. "Semantics."

"Well I guess we need to head over to Rosetta's and see if she's in."

"Lead on slave." said Manami jokingly as she got off of Ken's desk and headed for the door. "To the next lead."

The blonde let out a sigh. Try as he did but he couldn't hold the scold on his face. The need to smile was too powerful so he finally gave in. "Right away master." responded the boy as he did his best impression of a hunchback.

"What's that supposed to be?"

Ken looked at her. "It's Igor from Frankenstein."

"What's that?"

"Huh?" The boy blinked a couple of times. "You've got to be kidding. Frankenstein is a famous book and movie."

Manami shrugged. "Never seen it." She turned and headed out the door.

"Haven't you ever heard of the book?" called out Ken as he headed out of his office.

"_No." _came the faint voice from the hallway.

>>>>

Boston Regional Medical

"Nurse." called out Miranda. The temperature in the room was very cool but the pressure of the operation caused beads of sweat to fall from the surgeons brow into her eyes.

The same nurse from earlier took her cue and used a gauze to wipe away the chief surgeon's sweat.

"Thanks." responded the doctor. She let out a deep sigh as she confirmed her work on Layla's shoulder. "Dr. Braham, could you take a look at this before we administer the regeneration."

The surgeon, who's specialty was bone works, looked at the screen with scrutiny. After going over it meticulously, he nodded. "Looks good. If this works just like the test show, then the shoulder will set perfectly."

"Okay." Dr. Everett stepped back and looked at every single doctor before continuing. "Trish?"

The surgeon to the left of the table looked over. "Yes Doctor?"

"How's her temperature?"

"Higher than last time. She's border zone fever."

Miranda nodded. Not exactly according to plan but it wasn't dangerous. "Pulse and respiratory?"

"Higher than normal."

"Guess that's to be expected." Dr. Everett stepped back to the station. "Let's make her as good as new."

"We can rebuild her, make her stronger…"

Miranda rolled her eyes. "Cut it out Braham. This is no time for jokes."

The doctor smiled and retook his position near the table.

"Hey." whispered Trish to get his attention. "I thought it was funny."

>>>>

Somewhere on the Interstate Outside of Cape Mary

"**_I'm going to die. I'm going to die." _**thought Rosetta as she once again buried her face in her hands. It had been a familiar mantra ever since she and May left Kaleido Stage via the automobile. It sounded like a fun trip at first but it quickly turned into a nightmare when Rosetta found out that the other woman couldn't drive.

"Oh lighten up you baby. That car didn't even come close." May had her hands on the wheel and her foot on the petal. All the way down on the petal. "Driving is much more enjoyable than I realized. "

The redhead moved her hands out of her face and stared at the Chinese girl. "Haven't you ever driven before?"

"Nope. This if the first time." responded May with an overly pleased grin on her face. "I'm a natural, aren't I?" At that moment, May changed lanes and almost side swiped a minivan. The girl growled and stuck half her body out the window and shook her fist at the car. "You stupid mother…"

"Ahhhhhhhhh!" Rosetta's scream echoed through the car. Having no one in control of the steering forced the redhead to grab the wheel to keep the car in the lane. "For the love of God watch the road."

May pulled herself back in the car and grabbed the wheel. "The nerve of some people."

The shaking Rosetta looked over at the dark haired girl and gave her a look of pure contempt.

"Huh?" May wondered why the other girl looked so out of it. "What's wrong with you?" May's eyes widened. "You are not getting car sick are you, because you better not hurl on me."

The redhead choked off a sob and stared at the car ceiling. **_"Why did I ever let her talk me into this." _**The other girl thought it would be fun if they drove to her parents house instead of flying. Even to start out with Rosetta thought it was best to fly, but May somehow convinced her to take a car. She said it was the first time she got to have a road trip with a friend. When the girl put it that way she had no choice but to accept. Had Rosetta known that May was the worst driver in the universe, she would have suggested taking a bus.

"Let's sing a song." announced May cheerfully.

Rosetta crossed her arms. "I'm not in the mood."

"We are singing a song and that's final."

"Fine." conceded the redhead. "You choose a song first."

"Cool. I know a good one." May cleared her throat. "Wô xin zhong zhî yôu nî."

"I don't know Chinese!"

"It's about time you learned don't you think." The Asian girl grunted. "We'll come back to me then. Now it's your turn."

"**_Two can play at that game." _**Rosetta sat up straight. "À cause de toi Je ne vague jamais plus loin que le trottoir."

May growled. "I can't speak French!"

The redhead looked smug. "Bout time you learned isn't it."

"If you're going to act like that then no one is singing."

Rosetta turned to looked out the window. _"I didn't want to hear you sing in the first place." _mumbled the girl.

May turned her head and glared. "What did you say?"

The petite girl saw that May was once again not paying attention to the highway. "Ahhhhhhhhhh! Eyes on the road! Eyes on the road!"

"Huh?" The Chinese girl followed Rosetta's line of sight just in time to see an exit ramp divider coming right for them. Quickly she jerked the wheel back on the road. "Who in the hell would put something like that there."

"Maybe the State?" The redhead responded sarcastically. She tried to control her breathing while her heart begged for mercy. "Chinese people can't drive."

"Excuse me! At least I can reach the dam petal."

Both girls growled and gnashed their teeth at one another. Luckily an explosion was diverted by the sound of Rosetta's cell phone.

_Beep Beep Beep Beep…Beep Beep Beep Beep_

Rosetta picked it up and checked the number before answering.

"Who is it?" asked May calmly.

The redhead responded just as normally. "Ken I think." It was almost like they weren't even fighting just a second ago. "Hello?"

"_Hi Rosetta it's me Ken."_

"Is something wrong? This is like one of two times you ever called me since I gave you my number."

"_I was looking for you earlier but when we went to your apartment no one was there. We asked Sarah about it but she said you and May borrowed her car for some road trip."_

"**_More like a test of courage." _**Rosetta looked over at the May. The girl kept giving her glances that told her she was curious as to what they were talking about. "We're heading to May's parents house for the rest of the vacation. Is there something you needed me for?

"_Yeah, I've been trying to track down the Kaleido tour disk. You wouldn't happen to know where you put it last?"_

"Of course." Rosetta answered cheerfully. "I put it back in your desk where Mia told me to put it when I was done."

"_My…desk." _came the slow response from the other line.

"Yeah, I accidentally broke the original case so I put it in a generic one. I labeled it Kaleido tour disk, you can't miss it." There was no answer from the other end and the redhead wondered if Ken hung up. "You still there?"

"_Hmm…oh yeah, but I got to go. Good luck on your trip." _with that said the boy suddenly disconnected.

"**_I need all the luck I can get." _**thought Rosetta as she put the phone away.

May tapped the smaller girl on the shoulder. "What was that about?"

"Ken was looking for a disk. I just finished telling him where it was at."

"That's was all?"

"Apparently."

May shrugged. "Where were we?" Before Rosetta could answer, the Chinese girl took her eyes off the road and started ruffling through the central compartment. "There's got to be some good music here somewhere."

"Eyes on the road! Eyes on the road!" screamed the petite girl.

May's eyes looked up at the hysterical passenger. "Huh?"

>>>>

Kaleido Stage

Ken was once again going through his desk while Manami sat on top to watch him do it. "I thought you already looked here?"

"I did but Rosetta said this is where she put it."

"She must have been mistaken." mused the Japanese girl. "It would be lame if we spent most of the day searching for something that was in the fist place we looked."

"Crap!" swore the blonde.

Manami turned to the boy. "What is it?"

Ken stood up and held out a plain disk case. In pink ink, the words Kaleido tour disk was finely printed over the label. "Found it."

Manami stared at the disk in surprise. "You've got to be kidding me! Didn't you already go through the desk?"

"Yeah but I thought it was in another kind of case, plus Rosetta's print was so tiny I couldn't really read it well."

"Why not?" The text was hard to miss for her.

Ken scratched the back of his head while he reached in his pocket and pulled out a pair of reading glasses. "I wasn't wearing these when I searched the first time.

Manami glared at the embarrassed boy. "Baka!"

"Guess we need to find Leon."

"Don't bother." Both occupants of the office turned to the voice at the doorway. There in a fancy suit was Leon Oswald. "I swung by to see if you found the disk. Good timing it seems."

"Umm…here it is." said Ken as she held out the disk. The platinum haired man snatched it and without saying a word, headed for the door. "Leon?"

The man stopped and turned to Ken. "Yes?"

"Why did you need that disk anyway?"

"Nothing special. My old partner Emma was interested in Kaleido Stage so Kalos wanted to use the disk to entice her." Now that he answered Ken's curiosity, the man quietly left.

The blonde and Manami let out pitiful sighs. "All the hassle for that." groaned the oriental. "It couldn't have been something vital to save the stage from ruin or something equally important as that."

Ken sat down on the desk next to the woman. "I can't speak for you but the day wasn't a total loss. I had a lot of fun."

Manami smiled at the boy. "Actually I had a lot of fun too. I could have done without the trapeze but all in all it was a good day."

The blonde nodded and looked down at his desk of unfinished forms. It looked like he was going to pull another all nighter again. "Yeah but fun time is over. I have work to do." Ken slid off the desk and settled into his chair. "Sorry about not helping you move today but I promise I'll take care of it tomorrow."

"I'm good at the hotel for awhile." Manami stared down at the man who went directly to work on the forms. "Need any help?"

Ken stopped his work. "Nah. this is my job and it's probably going to take awhile."

"Yeah but I can help you get it done faster. After that you can give me a ride to the hotel."

"But…"

"My first job was a temp secretary, so believe me when I tell you those forms don't stand a chance. But look at it this way goober." Manami leaned over so she could look at the guy directly in the eye. "You'll get all your work done in half the time, and when you're finished, you can take a hot girl home on the back of your scooter. It's really a win win situation."

Ken didn't know how to respond to that so he shook his head and laughed. "If you put it that way it's hard to say no."

"That's why it feels so much better to say yes."

The blonde smiled. "Then yes it is. Pull up a chair and let's get started."

"Good boy." said Manami as she hopped off the desk and dragged a chair over. "Just show me what needs to be done and prepare to be awed."

Ken cleared his throat so he could attempt his best Bogart impersonation. "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

Manami sat down in her chair and gave the boy a confused look. "Who the hell is Louis?"

The blonde sighed. "It's from Casablanca."

"The place?"

"No the movie. You definitely need to see some classics."

The Japanese girl smiled. "Okay but I get to bring the popcorn."

>>>>

Boston Regional Medical

The three other surgeons not already familiar with the treatment watched in awe. It was like seeing a flower grow at hyper speeds. The eerie blue light from the device glided over skin, bone, and tissue. Wherever it passed, the treatment already in Layla's system reacted and the tissue grew back flawlessly. The only snag was the nutrition supplements, needed for the body to reform the tissue, had to be intravenously fed at a snails pace. But it was better than the months it would have taken otherwise. Plus the tissue was being put on layer by layer with no visible scar tissue. Between watching that unfold and catching glimpses at Dr. Everett, the surgical team was awestruck. A common thought running in their minds was that the woman created something revolutionary.

Miranda would have smugly agreed with their assessments but something was wrong. **_"Why is her temperature and pulse so high?" _**The whole thing should have been done with little or no taxation to Layla's main life support systems, but her circulatory and respiratory functions are being heavily strained. If the other doctors weren't so engrossed in watching the regeneration process unfold, they too would have caught on that there was a problem somewhere.

Dr. Everett had no choice but to let things take their course. It didn't stop her from sending out a small prayer. **_"Please let everything go smoothly."_**

The doctor wasn't the only one sending out a prayer. Unseen by all the occupants of the room, was a silver haired spirit that watched over the unconscious woman like a sentinel. **_"I never ask for much Fate but don't screw this up." _**

>>

Sora was staring off into space when Fool returned with a cup full of coffee. The man floated over and put the cup down on the nearby table. "Sora?"

The girl snapped out of her blank gaze and turned to Fool. "Arigato." said the girl as she reached out and took the cup. She took a sip and set it back on the table. "I appreciate you getting that for me."

The spirit shrugged. "I didn't mind but I think I killed an old lady when she saw a magic cup floating by."

"Are you serious?" asked Sora with alarm. She hoped getting her some coffee didn't end up costing someone their life.

"No." responded the spirit with a snicker. "The lady was so spaced out on meds, my floating cup was probably one of many she saw today."

The girl sighed in relief. "Good."

The spirit looked over at Sora in concern. The girl looked like she was coming down with a fever. Beads of sweat appeared on her forehead and she seemed to be breathing harder for someone as fit as she was.

"Are you okay?"

The brunette waved off any concern. "I'm just a little overly nervous so don't mind me."

"If you say so." Fool was depressed just watching around Sora. Normally the girl was so energetic but now she didn't show a fraction of the spunkiness she was famous for. "Cheer up Sora. If you want I can read your fortune."

The girl was once again staring off into space, but in a strange voice she replied. "Sometimes knowing your future will tempt Fate's ire."

Fool's eyes widened in alarm. "That was…incredibly insightful Sora. I once heard the same thing from a priestess of Artemis nearly two millennia ago."

Sora shook her head and turned to Fool. "Did you say something?"

"I told you what you said was incredibly insightful."

The brunette looked confused. "What I said? When did I say something?"

"**_I guess Sora is so nervous she's spacing out." _**Fool held up his hands. "Never mind."

"Okay." responded Sora slowly. **_"Fool is acting weirder than usual."_**

They both sat there and listened to the drum of the air-conditioner.

"Hey Fool can I ask you a question?"

"That's what I'm here for."

Sora had her legs drawn up closely to her chest but she let them go back to the floor before she continued. "Why do you wear that mask? I'm only asking because I know you can take it off."

Fool's one eye looked over at the brunette sadly. "If I told you I'd be breaking the rules."

"Since when do rules stop you?" retorted the oriental girl.

He sat there for a minute without answering. The spirit came to a decision and sighed. "Then I'll tell you." The spirit looked around to see if Passion was around. He doubted the silver haired woman would rat him out but caution was always the best policy. Seeing it was just the two of them, Fool continued. "I wear this mask as punishment."

This was one of the things that always nagged at Sora's curiosity. "For what?"

"A long time ago I fell in love with a woman who was meant to be with another. I tried to intervene by challenging Fate's will. By doing that I destroyed the girl's destiny and she paid for it with her life."

Sora didn't know how to respond. She thought of a hundred responses to her inquiry but she didn't see that one coming. "Y…y…you got your charge killed?"

The spirit turned away from Sora to avoid her piercing gaze. "The woman wasn't my charge."

"Then whose was it?" questioned Sora quietly.

Fool reached up and touched the mask he wore. "I…I…I don't remember. All I know is why I wear my mask but not how it happened. This thing can never leave my possession and it's probably the reason I can't remember."

"**_Poor Fool." _**She could almost see the pain coming off of the little man as he talked about this. "So why not wear the mask around your belt or something."

"It's a penance of my mistakes so it must be worn at all times."

Sora wanted to know more of what happened. "So, is that all you remember?"

"**_I also remember Passion was involved and she too was punished for what transpired." _**Fool wanted to say those things out loud but he thought it was best to conceal the other spirits identity. "Yes."

"I'm sorry that had to happen Fool, but thanks for telling me that much."

Fool shrugged off the unpleasant thoughts. "If you want to make me feel better, how about giving me a nice warm hug."

"Arggg." groaned Sora. **_"At least he's still the Fool I know."_**

The man smiled when he got the intended response. "My turn to ask you a question."

"Me?" The brunette shrugged. "Sure go ahead."

"You're acting rather strange. Normally I would say you're just nervous but it's something more than that isn't it?"

Sora was about to blow him off but she decided to voice what's been on her mind. "It's… this feeling I've had since the surgery started."

"Are you coming down with something?" asked a concerned spirit.

Sora shook her head. "I don't think so." Realizing she did feel pretty bad. "At least I hope not."

"Then what?"

The brunette once again pulled her legs to her chest. "I can't seem to shake this feeling something bad is going to happen."

The spirit nodded in understanding. "Only I can read the future Sora. Whatever that feeling is, it's probably a figment of your imagination."

"I hope so Fool." said the girl quietly. "I do hope so." She refrained from telling Fool that she also had an aching pain in her shoulder for the last few hours. **_"My mind must be doing all of this." _**thought Sora as she tried hard to convince herself that's all it was.

>>>>

"Doctor the patient seems to be having trouble breathing and the heart rate has sky rocketed!"

Dr. Everett didn't have to be told that. She could see it all clearly. "Her temperature is also a hundred and three degrees and still going up."

Dr. Braham looked at Miranda with concern. "The test didn't show any kind of reaction like this."

Miranda sighed nervously. "I know that. After all I was the first test subject." Dr. Everett walked over and stared down at Layla's face. The girl's face was covered in a sheen of sweat and she was having trouble breathing. "This can't be caused by the treatment. There were twelve hours to see if her system rejected the medication but all signs showed everything was a hundred percent."

"Could it have been the volume of medication?"

Miranda shook her head. "We used less than the test. Besides, if the patient rejected the treatment it would show in the regeneration process, but everything on that front seems to be going as planned."

True enough the tissue under the Electrolyte scanner was regenerating at a remarkable pace. Trish looked at the patient's vital signs with concern. "Should we stop this Dr. Everett?"

"We can't." said Miranda firmly. "It would be dangerous if the tissue isn't reformed to cover up the parts the laser removed. If we stop now Layla could be horribly scarred or worse."

The forth surgeon who monitored all the vital readings, since the beginning, agreed with Dr. Everett. "Miranda is right about this not being related to the treatment. Her signs only deteriorated when we administered the assisting drugs, post epidermal removal."

Dr. Everett eyes widened. "These are all signs of an allergic reaction."

Braham turned to Dr. Everett. "There were only two drugs administered that weren't done in pre-op."

Miranda nodded in agreement. "The antibiotics and the blood thinners." The doctor looked at the patient. "It couldn't have been the antibiotics because she's been treated several times with those."

"It must have been the anti-coagulants then." suggested Trish.

Most of the surgeons realized that had to be the case. It was a very unwelcome conclusion for each them. A wave of dread washed over the medical team. People allergic to anti-coagulants were in critical danger after taking tiny aspirins. For the surgery Layla was given ten times that amount. "Dam it." Miranda swore. "She told me she wasn't allergic to aspirin. Probably because she never used them before."

Braham stepped forward. "Dr. Everett. I recommend we abort the treatment and do an emergency blood transfusion."

Miranda gritted her teeth. "We can't do that! If we do a blood transfusion it's going to remove the treatment as well, and that's the only thing stabilizing her system. We remove that and it's going to be fatal."

The man looked the doctor directly in the eye. "If we don't her vital systems are going to shutdown anyway."

The man at the console called out his reading. "Temperature at a hundred and four and rising. Now or never doctor. It's your choice."

"_**What kind of choice is that? Either way she might die."**_

>>>>

"Sora what's wrong?" Fool was dreadfully worried.

Sora was breathing extremely hard and she was sweating profusely. "I…don't…know."

The spirit floated over and felt the girls head. "You're burning up Sora. We're in a hospital so why don't you go see a doctor."

The brunette shook head and leaned deeper in the chair. "Ahh!" cried the girl in pain as she grasped her right shoulder.

Fool stared at her wide eyed. "What wrong with you. Something here isn't normal."

"I'll be fine Fool." responded the girl with gritted teeth.

"Like hell you are." the spirit was ready to find help. He didn't know how but he'd find a way.

Sora was panting heavily. She saw that Fool was ready to bolt so she reached out and grabbed him. "Don't…go…anywhere…Fool."

The spirit struggled in her grasp. "You need help Sora."

"I'm not the one who needs help Fool. I can't explain it but whatever I'm feeling, I know Layla is feeling it five times as worse."

"What are you talking about?"

Sora took a deep breath but it caused her to wince. The pain was getting worse and she felt like she was on fire. "Whenever I'm distracted and not thinking about Layla the pain goes away but when I remain calm it's almost like I can feel her. That's why I know something is wrong with Layla. It's a feeling in the pit of my stomach."

Fool looked desperate. It was one of the oldest rules that a spirit was never to get attached to a mortal. That cost him dearly in the past but it seemed like he repeated a past mistakes because he cared for Sora's well being. The last thing he wanted was the girl to be put into danger. "Try not to think about her then. Whatever is happening the situation is obviously getting worse."

"I can't ahhhhh!" screamed the brunette in pain. Tears fell from her eyes.

Watching his charge in that much pain was agonizing. He started a new round of struggles to set himself free. If he could only move his arms, he could use his power to free himself. His best efforts grew futile because the girl had a vise like grip that only got worse with each spasm of pain. "Dam it let me go."

"No!" Tears fell freely from her eyes now. "Layla is fighting so hard right now, I can feel it. I just need to be here for her. I need to help her fight too."

"Not if it means hurting yourself now let me go get help."

"I won't let g…" whatever Sora wanted to say ended when her eyes rolled back and she fainted in the chair.

Finally free of the brunette's grip, the spirit of the stage floated towards the unconscious girl. "Sora?…Sora?" the little man sighed. "That's it. I'm getting help." The man turned around to leave but stopped dead in his tracks when he came face to face with Passion.

The silver haired spirit's eyes were deep and sorrowful. "If you disturb Sora…Layla will die."

Te be Continued


End file.
